Shakugan no Yuji?
by Markal
Summary: The Writer of Questionable Stories accidentally commits a horrible mistake. The world is displaced. Chaos ensues. Rated T for some language. Chapter 18.
1. Chapter 201: The Beginning to Nothing

_Late one night in front of a normal, everyday computer desktop, a certain writer (Whose name will be kept anonymous for reasons pertaining to said person's dignity) sat down and began to write. He wrote simply because his Muse itched for release, because he had too much idle time on his hands, and because he was bored._

_This particular writer had been engaged in an eight-hour "Shakugan no Shana" viewing marathon earlier that week, and thus the topic that seemed obviously suitable for access was... well, Shakugan no Shana._

_Thus, the Writer of Questionable Stories sat down in front of his computer and typed... and typed... and typed some more. With a few hours' effort, the first chapter was completed, but not yet saved. It was far from the "ideal fanfiction", but then again, what fanfiction ever is? At the very least, it was passable and didn't induce painful vomiting in a random test subject that the writer had recruited for the task (The identity of the subject, dubiously enough, was the writer's younger sibling)._

_And so, not without a little bit of pride, the Writer of Questionable Stories had just clicked the save button..._

_...When his hand accidentally knocked over a glass of guava juice he'd thoughtlessly and carelessly placed on a cork beverage coaster next to the keyboard. Not surprisingly, there are very good reasons why most computer techies recommend that you do NOT eat or drink while sitting in front of your computer. But I digress._

_To make a long story short, everything became simply Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. If you wish to sound polite in public, this is the handy acronym: F.U.B.A.R._

_It took the Writer of Questionable Stories an entire week to call in the proper help, get the necessary parts replaced, and pour himself a new glass of guava juice. But the worst part wasn't the damage to the hardware. Or, to put the situation in a more exactly temporal manner..._

_

* * *

_

"...Son of a BITCH! Three hours of work gone down the drain! Dammit, and it was a pretty good piece too... Ah, wait a sec... oh, great! The file's actually still here! Now let me open it up..."

*Beep beep whirrrr beep...*

"...HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD! THIS IS HORRIBLE! WHAT HAVE I DONE!? HOW COULD I HAVE CREATED SUCH A TRAVESTY...!?"

_

* * *

_

_...Needless to say, although this would be the first and only time the Writer of Questionable Stories had ever crapped his pants, the cataclysmic damage had already been done. The world had been completely, thoroughly displaced._

_

* * *

_

**  
_SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?_**

**_Chapter 201: The Beginning to Nothing, the Twenty-Fourth Ending_**

_

* * *

_

_Misaki City. It's an ordinary place in an ordinary time. I've got myself a normal life... Or at least that's what one might think. To tell you the truth, I loathe it. I'd probably have left this dump years ago if it weren't for the terrific melon bread the local bakery sells. Thank goodness there's such good melon bread around in Misaki, since Wilhelmina can't cook worth a damn, and neither can I._

_Everyone in Misaki just calls me Shana, thanks to the katana I'm always carrying around to protect me from stalkers and perverts. It comes in handy, but sometimes I almost find myself thinking that I should've just turned down the Nietono no Shana that Grandpa Tenmoku left to me in his will. Almost._

_At the very outset, I had no idea that I was already dead, or that my lifestyle..._

_...was to remain pretty much the same._

_

* * *

_

"...Hey you, little brat! Open your notebook!"

Margery Daw, English teacher at Misaki High, was visibly vexed at the fact that Shana was once again refusing to properly go along with the lesson. Shana, of course, was refusing to give an inch in return.

"If you're going to actually give us a _proper_ lesson, shouldn't you be keeping a tighter watch on everyone in this classroom?"

Shana turned and indicated two figures who were busy making out in a corner of the classroom with a dismissive finger.

"...Like _those_ two?"

Sorath and Tiriel were furiously exchanging saliva as if there were no tomorrow. Shana then pointed over to another figure occupying a different corner of the classroom.

"Or how about _Miss Convent_ over there?"

Hecate was busily engaged in staring out the window, locked in an attitude of intense prayer. Shana looked back over to Margery and gave her a heated glare.

"And if that weren't bad enough, you're going off and _boozing_ yourself every other second, even during lectures!"

Margery turned red in the face and leaned forwards, a vein angrily bulging in her forehead as she gave retort. Shana couldn't help but smell the alcohol wafting from her breath.

"Well, why shouldn't I have a drink now and then!? It's so miserable, teaching a bunch of unappreciative goons like you..."

* * *

Shana sighed as she walked out the school gates.

"...Seriously, geez... Can't I have some normal classmates or teachers for once?"

"A normal classmate?"

Shana looked up to see Khamsin approaching.

"Oh, it's you."

"So what is all this about a 'normal' classmate?"

Shana huffed.

"None of your business. Besides, you're not exactly one to talk. You speak like an old geezer all the time."

Khamsin smiled enigmatically.

"And this coming from a lady who brandishes a feudal-era katana in school all day?"

"Hmph."

* * *

"Thank you for your patronage! Please come again..."

The doorbell to the bakery tinkled merrily as it swung ajar. Shana giggled in glee as she opened up the plastic package and promptly took a big bite out of the melon bread she held in her hands.

"Mmmrrf... This one's a winner, all right. Perfect combination of crispy and spongy. The crust and filling go so well together..."

Suddenly, the air turned a strange hue of crimson. Shana blinked.

"That's odd... nothing in the weather report today mentioned a 100% chance of 'red'..."

Shana blinked again as she noticed that everyone else around her had stopped moving. They were frozen stiff, as if they all had become statues of marble.

"H-hey, what's with the Charades act? Come on, this isn't the time for-"

Then she noticed the two figures standing amidst the crowd. A big, grotesque-looking baby-form doll, and a floating ball of mannequin heads. People around her began to ignite into bluish flame... and then dissipate. Shana shuddered as she realized that the two figures were actually sucking everyone into their mouths. Shana looked back down at the melon bread in her hands and began giving it and its transparent wrapper a thorough visual inspection.

"...Don't tell me that this melon bread is past the expiration date..."

Right at that moment, the huge doll seemed to have taken notice of Shana.

"Lookie, lookie! This one is moving about in the Fuzetsu!"

"Ah! This one... it appears to be a rare Mystes... The Mistress will be pleased!"

"Quite so. It was a good thing we came..."

The doll reached down to grab Shana up...

**THWOCK!**

...and then promptly began to scream as its formerly outstretched arm began flopping about on the ground a few feet away on its own. Shana swung her katana up.

"Don't touch me! Disgusting thing! You probably haven't even washed your hands yet, you donation-box reject!"

Shana turned and began to run, but was suddenly blocked in her tracks by the mannequin-head-ball. It spoke eerily.

"Now, now, don't try to run away. Mistress would be most disappointed if you did so."

Shana turned around again... and then found her arms and body pinioned by massive fingers. The doll had caught her.

"It's time to feast...!"

**FWOOSH!**

Suddenly, the hand that had a hold on Shana abruptly disintegrated into flames. The hand's erstwhile owner screamed. The ball of mannequin heads similarly screamed as it exploded into its own fiery inferno. Shana dropped to the ground with a thump. Blinking, she found herself staring at a newly-arrived third party.

"Gwaaaaaah...!"

"...Huh?"

A young boy around her age, dressed in a gakuran and swathed in a black nightcape, stood before her. His eyes and hair were ablaze in crimson fire. He looked over to Shana, and to her surprise, smiled kindly.

"Are you all right?"

Shana, for once, found herself unable to speak. Before she could make proper reply, however, the young man quickly jumped into the air as a disembodied voice broke into the one-sided conversation.

"Don't slacken your guard!"

"Understood, Alastor." He then turned back to Shana. "Go find yourself some cover. We'll talk later!"

The gigantic doll had regained its footing and was angrily charging towards both of them.

"How crude! Burning one's arm off...!"

The huge doll attempted to retaliate by launching a sweeping blow with its remaining arm. The crimson-haired boy simply tackled Shana out of the way before responding in kind by reaching out with his hand and incinerating the doll's legs to cinders with a blast of fire.

"Ahhhhh...!"

The doll collapsed in a jumbled heap, then exploded in a brilliant blaze of blue flames. The crimson-haired and blazing-eyed boy looked about the scene of devastation.

"They're not Denizens... just Rinne, from the looks of things."

"Mmm. The larger one appears to have been merely a shell. Its core essence may still be in the area, so be on your guard."

"Understood. But first..."

He looked over at Shana, who was crouching behind a large signpost. Her katana was up in a guard stance.

"D-don't come any closer! You're a pervert stalker, aren't you!?"

The boy looked distinctly taken aback and embarrassed by the accusation.

"Erm, no. Alastor, are all Mystes like this?"

"No. This particular one appears to be a rather dramatic exception, from the looks of things. I wonder what's in it... Ah! Behind you!"

Before Shana could react, a pale-haired man dressed in an elegant white suit had suddenly come up from behind and attempted to lunge at her. Shana simply dodged and then kicked him in the groin. The young crimson-haired boy couldn't help but wince.

The elegantly-dressed man groaned as he painfully struggled to get back onto his feet. "Gaagh! Urk... How dare you! Kicking the Rinne of a glorious Mistress such as mine in such an unsophisticated manner..."

Whatever he was about to say next, however, proved incomplete as he was promptly burned to a crisp by another fireball thrown by the young boy. Even as the fire was burning, however, a small form dashed out of the blaze. Shana blinked, as a small male doll dressed in a miniature version of that same white suit floated up into the air... and then disappeared in a flash of blue fire.

The disembodied voice spoke in some approval, as if confirming a suspicion.

"So, it seems that was the real core of that particular Rinne. To harbor such an intricate layer... The Denizen who owned these Rinne must be quite powerful."

"Most likely so. But to-"

The boy's conversation was interrupted by a distraught cry from Shana.

"Waaaaaah!! No!"

Shana was staring in abject horror at a squashed lump of cookie crust and pastry filling that sat in her hands.

"M-my melon bread!"

Before the young boy could react, Shana grabbed him by the collar of his nightcape and began to vigorously shake and throttle him.

"You... you IDIOT! Look what your fighting did! My melon bread's ruined! How are you going to fix this!?"

"N-now, let's not be so hasty. It's only a baked product-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP! Give me back my melon bread!"

The disembodied voice spoke again.

"...Perhaps you should indulge it. It may stop its complaints once it gets what it wants. Then again... I find it odd that this Mystes is taking in the whole situation so calmly."

"Well, that's the way it goes, I guess. Here, give me your hand for a second..."

The boy quietly took Shana's hand and blew on the ruined confection. Shana couldn't help but blush slightly as he did so.

Within a matter of moments, a blue flame enveloped the bun. Shana panicked as she grabbed the boy by the collar and once again shook him like a rag doll.

"H-hey! What gives?! I asked you to fix my melon bread, not BURN it!"

But then in another short moment, the flames dissipated, revealing a perfectly round, criss-crossed bun of crispy cookie crust, free of blemish or injury. Shana blinked and stared at the baked product in her hand.

The boy smiled.

"Is that good enough? Now then..."

Blue fire suddenly issued forth from his hands, forming themselves back into the shapes of the people who had been walking the street just a few moments before.

"That takes care of the Torches. I just hope we find that Denizen soon. I never get used to this sort of thing, no matter how many times we do this..."

"Those Rinne had quite the greedy appetite. I can only assume that their Denizen Master has a correspondingly large one as well."

The boy next made a small gesture with his hand. The craters, cracks, and various other forms of damage that had been inflicted during the fight began to quickly repair themselves. As the last of the damage disappeared, the boy dusted his hands.

"That's that."

The air flashed back into normalcy, and the deep shade of red disappeared.

Shana looked around. Everyone looked the same, but...

"...H-hey, why's everyone looking so odd? They're..."

Floating fires of azure dotted each and every person in the area. Shana blinked as a nearby pedestrian suddenly fragmented and then faded away. Shana looked over to the flame-haired boy...

...only to find that his hair had reverted to a normal-looking shade of dark brown. His eyes had changed into a hue of steely blue. Shana blinked again, but shook her head as she returned her mind to the question that had dominated it in the first place.

"...Again, what's going on?"

The boy's face took on a sorrowful, regretful look as he turned and looked out over the crowd.

"This... is the truth of reality. The truth of how fragile our existence really is."

Shana grabbed the boy by the collar of his nightcape again and shook him.

"What?! What are you talking about!?"

The boy's face was stricken with regret and sadness as he looked Shana in the face.

"Just like everyone around you, here on this street..."

He paused.

"...The 'you' whom you represent has already ceased to exist."

* * *

High up above the city, a woman possessed of long blonde hair and wearing an evening dress of purple looked over the Crystal Altar and smiled in anticipation. She caressed in her hands a small male doll... wearing an elegant white suit.

* * *

_That was the moment when my entire life... pretty much remained the same. Except for just one thing. Chaos in the form of a young boy with flaming crimson hair and burning eyes of fire._

* * *

"This... _Goddamnit_, this is just horrible!"

One of the pages landed on the floor, flung over a shoulder in cold dismissal.

"No kidding. This whole document's an utter piece of garbage. Everyone's completely Out-Of-Character, format's a horrible joke, and the grammar's barely holding together. I'm surprised that the characters are even functioning. How you wrote this is practically beyond me-"

The Writer of Questionable Stories wrung his hands frantically.

"I TOLD you! This whole thing was an accident! I spilled some guava juice on the keyboard-"

"...Ah."

"What? That's it?"

"What else am I supposed to say? I guess the only thing left to do now is..."

"Is what?"

"...Write more and see what happens."

"What?! Are you telling me to go off and pull a Dantalion-"

"What other choice do you have? You've already started this whole mess. If you're going to swallow poison, might as well lick the dish."

"Jesus H. Christ, you're no help at all..."

* * *

**To be Continued...?**

**Writer's Note: **Okay, so... Before everyone starts flaming my Inbox, let me just make one thing clear: **THIS STORY IS EXPERIMENTAL. **And as everyone knows, experimental things, much like any other prototype, are highly unstable/unreliable/untrustworthy. I just wrote this piece because it sprang up in my brain and refused to die. I don't know how successful this thing will be, or how long it will go. Could be just one chapter or a hundred, if the mood and opportunity strike me as ideal. If you enjoyed reading this Frankenstein's Monster of a written piece, well and good. If you didn't... I politely suggest you go and read a better story. Seriously.


	2. Chapter 9002: The Backlit Flame

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled through his teeth as he gulped down another glass of guava juice and flipped another page.

"...This is just freakin' great. I spill my favorite beverage, fry my hardware for a week, AND I cause a catastrophic case of reality displacement. What ELSE can go wrong now?"

"Still working on that sad, sorry mess?"

"Hey, it was your idea."

"Of course... but you DO realize that you'll eventually need to readjust and correct that imbalance you've created, you know."

The Writer of Questionable Stories grimaced as he turned up the sarcasm to maximum amplitude.

"And just what do you think I'm doing at the moment, hmmmm? Now stop pestering me. I've got an entire reality to correct."

"Then again, you COULD do THAT..."

"...Don't even go there."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 9002: The Backlit Flame**

**  
**

* * *

_And here I was thinking that my life in Misaki couldn't get any less normal. Now some annoying fellow shows up, looking as though he'd caught his hair and eyes in a three-alarm fire, and tells me that the "real me" no longer exists._

_Hmph. Maybe I should've just called in sick this morning._

* * *

Shana sat down on the park bench next to the young man who'd come to her aid earlier that afternoon. The girl was quiet up to the point when he finished explaining the entire situation.

"So... let me get this completely straight. This world shifts next to that of another dimension, called the Crimson Realm. Denizens from that Crimson Realm come to our reality to extract Power of Existence from humans in order to fuel their desires in the form of Unrestricted Methods. They use tools called Rinne in order to carry out their plans. You're a Flame Haze, contracted to Alastor, Flame of Heaven, who is a Crimson Lord. Crimson Lords maintain the balance between the two worlds in part by hunting down Denizens, repairing dimensional damage, and by creating Torches, or temporary existential human replacements, such as myself. So by implication, that means the 'real me' no longer exists."

The boy sadly nodded.

"That's right. And eventually, just like any other Torch, the rest of what little Power of Existence that remains in you will burn away and..."

Shana finished his sentence.

"...I'll disappear."

Alastor spoke up again.

"For a Mystes, you're taking this incredibly well. Most Torches we explain the situation to usually become so consumed with their eventual non-existence that they simply go insane or commit suicide."

Shana shrugged.

"Nothing can be done about it. And if nothing can be done about it, what's the use of struggling or putting up a fuss about it? Now with that..."

Shana got up from the bench and dusted off her hindquarters. The boy looked askance at her.

"So what are you going to do?"

Shana looked over her shoulder at the young boy.

"What else? I'm going to fully enjoy what little time I've got remaining, that's what."

Shana quickly dashed over to a nearby cart that was selling melon bread and brandished a wad of yen bills in the vendor's astonished face.

"Hey, you! I'm buying all of your melon bread! Yes, yes, ALL of it! Say, do you have a handtruck, wagon, or dolly for me to carry all this with?"

The boy smiled wanly as Shana began piling her purchases into her arms.

"She's got a lot of spirit."

"Indeed. You know, if she weren't in these circumstances... with her personality and talents, she would have made a great Flame Haze."

* * *

The little doll in the elegant white suit mumbled apologetically.

"I... please forgive me, Mistress. I lost one of your favored Rinne, and failed to obtain the Mystes' treasure."

The blonde-haired woman in the purple evening dress shushed it with a caress and a loving nuzzle.

"Hush, my darling Friagne. There was nothing you could reasonably do in those circumstances. Flame Hazes are such crude, overpowering brutes, trying to come between our dearest wishes."

The doll that was Friagne seemed to tremble in ecstasy.

"You're so good to me, Mistress... I only wish I could make up for my mistake. That Flame Haze... and that infuriating Mystes! I so desperately desire to redeem myself. You've done so much for me already... I can't just sit idly by and let this play out by itself-"

The woman laid a finger on the doll's face, quieting it with a gesture.

"In time, in time, my darling Friagne. But for now... please rest. We shall deal with this interloper soon."

Even as the doll fell silent, the woman smiled thinly as she looked over the Crystal Altar once more.

"Hmph. The one with Crimson Hair and Burning Eyes, eh? This should be interesting..."

* * *

Shana sighed as she contemplated the cup of instant ramen sitting in front of her. Wilhelmina, her guardian, looked up from her own cup as she quietly slurped a mouthful of noodles.

"Truly, something seems to be matter with you this evening."

Shana looked over to Wilhelmina, who was regarding her intently.

"...Wilhelmina, could I ask you a question?"

"Truly, what would that question be?"

"If... if a friend were to disappear soon, what would you do?"

Wilhelmina was silent for a long moment. Then she quietly spoke.

"Truly, is that the situation in which you find yourself? Are you about to disappear?"

Shana quickly and vehemently shook her head in hasty denial.

"N-no! That's not what I meant! It's just... never mind. Forget I said anything."

Wilhelmina took in another mouthful of noodles... then abruptly got out of her chair. Shana looked up in some mild puzzlement.

"Wilhelmina, what are you-"

"Please excuse this one for what she is about to do."

Shana's eyes widened as she abruptly felt her guardian embrace her. Shana quietly smiled as Wilhelmina spoke again.

"Truly, if a friend of mine were to disappear... I would be most unhappy."

"Wilhelmina..."

* * *

The next morning found Shana stepping out the door of her apartment. To her surprise, she found the young boy standing near the entryway to the complex. Shana had a vexed look on her face as she spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Y-you!? What are you doing here!? You're not stalking me, are you?!"

Shana reinforced that last accusation by pointing her katana at his neck. The boy quickly stammered and waved his hands in a panicked attempt to placate the irate Mystes.

"N-no! Nothing like that... I... Alastor and I were discussing the situation yesterday evening, and we both agreed that it would be wise for us to keep an eye on you."

Alastor's voice spoke into the air.

"Those Rinne that attacked you yesterday were quite intent on opening you up. Whatever you have inside you, it definitely calls for close watch on our part."

Shana pointed at him.

"How does he... do that?"

The boy blinked.

"Do what?"

"Talk, that's what, idiot! How does Alastor talk? You're not a ventriloquist by any chance, are you?"

The boy laughed mildly in puzzled humor.

"A what?"

"A ventriloquist! Don't tell me you don't know what a ven... Agh, forget it. But how does Alastor communicate?"

The boy laughed again.

"Ohh, _that_."

Pointing to his belt, the boy tugged on a ring of keys that was attached to his waist. Attached by a chain to the keyring was a small orb of glass crisscrossed with wire. Shining within the ornament's depths was a curious glow that looked like a spark of flame that had been given life.

"It's through this. It's called a Cocytus. Through it, Alastor sees what I see, and can communicate."

Shana sighed.

"I see. Anyways, if you are going to stalk me, just don't follow me too closely. Someone from school might see us and get the wrong idea."

The boy blinked in mild bewilderment.

"Huh? What sort of wrong idea?"

Shana blushed like a tomato and quickly ran off down the street, hollering her words back at him angrily.

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP! None of your business, okay!?"

* * *

The bell rang. Shana sighed as she took her seat and leaned back in her chair, awaiting another session of pointless classes. She groaned as she saw an unwelcome figure in a white lab coat walk... or rather, leap into the classroom.

_Oh great... it's that nutjob of a science teacher, Dantalion, here to once again extoll the wonders of our universe for our benefit._

Dantalion jumped into his teacher's chair with a terrific bound and flashed everyone in the classroom a half-brilliant, half-crazed smile.

"GOOOOOD MOOOOORNING, everyone! It is an EXCELLEEEEENT day, I'm sure! Is everyone REAAAADY!?"

Shana grimaced, even as Dantalion's teaching aide, a weirdly odd robot he called Domino 28, waddled into the room after him.

"Ah, Professor... try not to blow up the classroom today. The rest of the faculty has voiced their fears for the safety of the class-"

Professor Dantalion whacked his aide with a Bunsen burner as he spoke in a somewhat injured tone of voice.

"QUIIIIET! No risk is too great in the pursuit of knowledge! The wonders of science must be explored thoroughly! YESSSSS!"

Suddenly, a quiet voice whispered to Shana from her right.

"...He's quite... interesting, isn't he?"

Shana spun around in alarm as she saw an all-too-familiar figure sitting in the chair next to hers. The Flame Haze simply smiled and waved.

"Y-you... WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"

Shana jumped out of her chair, grabbed him by the collar, and began to angrily shake him like a maraca.

"U-ugh... don't shake me so much... E-everything's spinning..."

Dantalion, seeing the spectacle in front of him, rubbed his chin in intrigued interest.

"Ah... STUUUUNNNING! The mystery of love... the chemistry of reproduction! HOOOOW ROMAAAANTIC!"

Shana turned red in the face and angrily shook the hapless Flame Haze harder.

"Pervert! Stalker! IDIOT!"

* * *

"Seriously, did you have to shake him so hard? You shouldn't have taken out your frustrations on a fellow student like that..."

"Ehhhh!?" Shana spun around as Khamsin gently chided her during the lunch hour. "Him!? A student!? HERE!?"

Khamsin sipped at his milk.

"Don't tell me you're THAT unaware of your surroundings, Shana. Hirai-kun's been sitting next to you since the beginning of this class term."

Shana was about to speak angrily in protest, but suddenly stopped in her tracks as an uneasy realization came to her.

_I... I never... Come to think of it, I was so convinced that classes were such a waste of time that I never even noticed the student sitting next to me in the room... Wait a minute, was Hirai even a _boy_ to begin with!?_

Shaking her head in an attempt to clear the confusing thoughts from her brain, Shana continued with her argument.

"Even if I didn't notice, you can't tell me that Hirai looks like _that_!"

Khamsin looked askance at Shana, as if she'd suddenly lost her mind.

"What are you talking about? Hirai-kun's always looked like that."

* * *

The Flame Haze sat on the roof, munching away at a riceball for lunch.

"Well, this is fun. And new. I've never had school like this before."

Alastor hummed in quiet agreement.

"Mmm. This must be a new experience for you."

"Yep. You and Mother always taught me everything back home, so I never had a chance to associate with fellow academic peers."

Alastor's voice took on a warning tone.

"Don't forget, however, that our first priority is monitoring the Mystes. We must not let down our guard. That Denizen might strike at any time."

"Yes, yes... I understand."

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the Flame Haze, darkening his view. Looking up in surprise, he found himself staring up at Shana. The Mystes had a decidedly irritated look on her face. The Flame Haze smiled warmly.

"Oh... hi."

Shana was silent for a long moment before she spoke.

"...How did you do it?"

The Flame Haze blinked.

"Huh?"

"Don't fool around with me, idiot! How did you deceive everyone into thinking that you're actually part of the class!?"

He blinked again, this time in realization.

"Oh. That. That's easy. I simply took over the existence of the classmate that had been sitting in the chair next to you."

A look of confusion intermixed with the annoyance already present on her face.

"...What are you talking about?"

The Flame Haze looked down at the riceball in his hands.

"The classmate sitting next to you... was already a Torch for some time. She'd been ready to burn out at any moment, in fact."

"W-wait... did you just say '_she_'?!"

He nodded. There was a look of mournful regret on his face as he did so. Alastor's voice cut into the silence.

"Yukari, daughter of the Hirai family. Her whole family, in fact, had already been a family of Torches for some time. A family destined for existential oblivion. A Denizen most likely got them all during a sweep for Power of Existence. She was the last one left. From that point of view, it was just a matter of taking what little of her existence remained and adjusting it to serve my purpose. I've just simply taken her place in this plane's reality. To be honest, I'm not happy about it, but it was necessary."

Shana couldn't tell why, but something about the idea of her classmate's existence being used in such a way irritated her.

"Necessary for what!?"

The Flame Haze looked up at Shana. His gaze was gentle, but at the same time, seemed oddly intense.

"...To keep a closer eye on you, of course."

Without warning, Shana felt her cheeks heat up. The Flame Haze blinked.

"Is... something wrong? You're looking awfully red in the face."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of another day of classes. Shana slowly walked out the gates, looking back up at the school.

_So... one day very soon, I'll disappear just like my classmate Hirai, eh?_

The Flame Haze was following a discreet distance away. Shana looked over to him and narrowed her eyes. She considered for a long moment, then sighed and walked over to him.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a name?"

The Flame Haze blinked. "Ummm... Flame Hazes don't really have personal names. Most of the time, I just go by the title of 'Flaming-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter'. Why do you ask?"

Shana sighed.

"You really are clueless, aren't you? If you're going to be stalking me this often, it wouldn't help me if I didn't have something to call you by."

The Flame Haze thought for a long moment.

"Well... Before I became a Flame Haze, my mother just called me 'Yuji'."

Shana sighed in exasperation.

"That'll do, it's as good as any. Very well, then... 'Yuji'. That's what I'll call you from now on. Do you mind?"

Yuji smiled, once again warmly.

"Mmm. I don't mind. Now that we're on the topic of names, I'd like to know yours as well."

The Mystes blushed.

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!"

Yuji laughed.

"Is that a 'no'?"

"..."

"Well?"

"...Just call me Shana."

* * *

__

So there I was, stuck with a pervert stalker of a Flame Haze named Yuji. I had no idea, however, of what was within me... or of the absolute chaos that was about to follow.

* * *

The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he finished the last page.

"Urgh... Two sections finished. At this rate, I'll never be able to get the re-tuning process completed."

**To Be Continued...?**


	3. Chapter 513: A Scorch and a Tame Blaze

**yumichan808:** It wouldn't be Shana if it wasn't about the melon bread.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Yuji's not a character who changes much. As for Dantalion... I wonder who should take up his currently vacant position in Bal Masque?

* * *

"...Well?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories sighed.

"No real success as of yet. I've managed to get the relationship between the two on the right track, but I'm having a hard time re-stabilizing their actual existential placement inside their reality. Interchanging their current roles in their world is proving to be far more difficult than even I could have foreseen."

"Hmph. Who knew guava juice could be so troublesome..."

"Tell me about it. And to make matters worse, I think there's an even bigger snag in the road."

"Such as...?"

"That 'Hunter' Crimson Denizen and corresponding Rinne got their placements all mixed up as well."

"...Shit."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 513: A Scorch and a Tame Blaze**

* * *

_Things have fallen into something of a regular daily routine here in Misaki. Every morning I get up, wash, change into my uniform, grab a bite to eat, grab my school bag, say goodbye to Wilhelmina, open the apartment door..._

_...and find myself staring at this aggravating pervert stalker of a Flame Haze whom I call Yuji, standing just outside the doorway. He follows me everywhere during the day... except for one time when he attempted to follow me into the girls' locker room during P.E. That clueless idiot hasn't done it again since. I personally made sure of that._

* * *

Yuji quietly sat on the rooftop of the apartment complex where Shana lived, staring up at the morning sky.

"...Yuji, eh? It's been awhile since I used that name."

Alastor was silent for a while before finally speaking in a contemplative tone of voice.

"Your mother used that name whenever she called you, yes?"

Yuji nodded.

"I still miss her. I wonder what she's doing at the moment."

"I'm sure that wherever she is, she is doing just fine. The Specialist of Everything has been a Flame Haze for a very long time, so do not worry yourself. She can take care of herself."

"Speaking of women who can take care of themselves... That girl, Shana. She's surprised me. She has so much spirit."

"Indeed. As I mentioned before, with the proper training, she would have made an excellent Flame Haze. I now sometimes find myself wondering how things might have turned out had your situations been reversed."

Yuji chuckled.

"Don't be silly, Alastor. It's downright impossible to conceive of."

"Mmm. True. The Mystes seems to be in the process of departing from her living quarters. We should go down and meet her."

Yuji's voice took on a tone of gentle rebuke as he started to make his way downstairs.

"Alastor, I know you're my Contractor, but honestly... I don't like you referring to Shana simply as a 'Mystes'. She's a human being, you know. Everyone is. Even Torches."

Alastor grumped from the Cocytus.

"Hmph. Your kindness and concern for others do you credit, but don't let it blind you to your mission or your duty."

"I know, Alastor. I know."

* * *

Shana paused as they were enroute to another day of school.

"Hey, Yuji."

"Hmm?"

"You mentioned yesterday that you've never attended public school for most of your life. What's your impression of the teachers so far?"

Yuji scratched his head as he looked up at the school building that they were approaching.

"Well..."

* * *

_Yesterday morning..._

"W-what!? But that's... that's impossible! It can't be true!"

Yuji cheerfully smiled as he pointed up at the board.

"But it's true. If you have this particular mathematical rule, stating that the hypotenuse and the angle are..."

The classroom door slammed open as the mathematics teacher scrambled out into the hallway, screaming as if all the demons of hell were after him.

"No! No more!"

* * *

_An hour later..._

The classroom door slammed open again. The history teacher staggered out slowly, looking as though he'd just seen his house burn down in front of him.

"N-no way... It can't be..."

* * *

_During the class period after that..._

"Haha... no, not possible! HahAhaHAaahaHaaaHA!"

Gibbering, drooling, and laughing like an idiot, the Japanese teacher was dragged out of the classroom on a stretcher by two paramedics, leaving an entire class staring at Yuji in bewildered astonishment. Yuji simply blinked and smiled in good-natured confusion.

"...Eh? Was it something I said?"

* * *

_Back to the present..._

Yuji scratched his head in mild puzzlement as he finished his thought.

"...Ms. Margery Daw, the English teacher, and Professor Dantalion are all right... Although I wish our English teacher wouldn't drink so much. Mr. Sydonay, our Physical Education teacher, is also decent at his job... but the rest of the teachers started to behave oddly after I just politely pointed out that there were a few mistakes in their curriculum."

Shana crossed her arms and harrumphed in mild annoyance.

"A 'few' mistakes!? You accurately contradicted about 80% of their lesson plans! To think that a clueless idiot like you could cause such a disruption in class... I've been underestimating you."

Alastor spoke up.

"Many usually do. Those that continue to do so... well, let's just say they have since ceased to exist."

Yuji simply smiled.

"Thank you."

"Hmph. Idiot."

* * *

Margery Daw looked over the page and handed it back to Yuji.

"Hmph. It's all correct. Since when did you start being such an honor student, Hirai?"

Yuji gave a lopsided grin.

"Erm... cram school lessons?"

Misaki High's English teacher smirked as she adjusted her glasses.

"Hmph. Don't give me that nonsense, kid. You used to throw out average grades on your essays and exams... and I bet the other teachers would say the same thing concerning that. It's almost as if you're a different person."

Yuji just chuckled nervously.

"Er... can I be excused?"

* * *

"...Must you be so insistent upon leaving, my little darling Friagne?"

The blonde-haired woman lovingly caressed and nuzzled the little doll in her arms as she spoke. The doll's cultured but youthful voice returned in reply.

"Please, I must. I implore you to allow me the opportunity to redeem myself for my earlier failure. I cannot simply sit around and do nothing, especially when you've already done so much for me, Mistress. I shall take care of that absolutely aggravating Flame Haze and finally retrieve the Treasure which resides within that Mystes."

The woman smiled.

"Very well, if you so insist, my darling Friagne. But first..."

Making a slight gesture with a free hand, a deck of cards materialized within the woman's fingers.

"Take this Treasure. It should aid you against that terrible Flame Haze."

"...Mistress, you are far too kind to me..."

"Oh, my darling Friagne..."

The nauseating display of affection would continue for several more minutes before Friagne finally left to do as he'd originally intended.

* * *

The bell rang once more, signalling the end of yet another school day. As Yuji quickly packed up his books, however, he heard a soft voice speak over his shoulder. Turning around, Yuji found himself staring up at Hecate.

"...You are... Hirai-kun, are you not?"

Yuji nodded.

"Yes, but... is there something I can help you with, Hecate-san?"

"..."

Hecate remained silent for a long moment before she finally spoke a single sentence and turned to leave.

"...You are the one who will fill me."

Yuji simply blinked, cocking his head to one side in confused bewilderment.

"...Huh?"

Before he could continue to stare after the departing Hecate, however, there was the distinct sound of a throat being cleared directly in front of him.

"..._A-HEM_."

Yuji turned back around to see Shana standing in front of his desk, arms akimbo.

"Eh? What's the matter Shana?"

Shana glared at Hecate's diminishing figure before finally turning her gaze back to Yuji.

"Just what did 'Miss Convent' say to you?"

Yuji had a confused look on his face as he thought back to the sentence that Hecate had spoken.

"Uh... erm... Something about 'filling her'. Why? Do you know what she's talking about?"

Upon hearing Yuji repeat Hecate's words, Shana's face immediately turned a brilliant shade of crimson.

"Eh!? N-never mind then! This doesn't really concern me anyway."

Yuji blinked.

"...Are you sure? Why were you asking me that sort of question then?"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Suddenly, Yuji's gaze shot over to the classroom windows.

"...!!"

Shana looked in the same direction as well. The hair on the back of her neck pricked up.

"What's wrong?"

"...They're here!"

"Wha...!?"

In the flash of an instant, the air turned an ominous crimson. Just as before, time froze. People stopped dead in their tracks. Yuji quickly turned to Shana.

"Hurry! We've got to get out of the immediate area, before-!"

Before the Flame Haze could speak any further, however, the classroom windows shattered into a cascade of broken glass and twisted metal frames. Yuji quickly threw Shana behind a desk as an explosion hit the area. Even as Yuji's eyes and hair transformed into living flame, Shana spotted an odd sight.

_A... playing card? Floating in the air? No, wait... An entire deck!? Is that a Treasure!?_

Yuji spotted it an instant later, as one of the cards suddenly swooped towards him and sliced into the floor. Even as Yuji dodged out of the way, it detonated an instant later.

"H-hey, idiot! Do something about it!"

"I know, I know! Just stay behind cover, please!"

As more and more cards appeared, spun, and swooped throughout the classroom, the Flame Haze abruptly pointed at one card in particular, almost too quickly for Shana to see. There was a brief flash of fire, an explosive blast...

...and then a small scream of agony as the flying deck of cards dissipated and faded away, revealing a battered little doll in a white suit lying on the floor in a limp heap. Yuji quietly walked over and picked it up as he spoke to it in a friendly, conversational tone.

"Aren't you that Rinne that showed up earlier? Where's your Denizen Master?"

"Kuh! As if I'd tell you anything about the Mistress!"

Alastor's voice broke in.

"Oh? A female Denizen? Could it be..."

Before Alastor could speak any further, there was a blinding flash of azure fire. Even as Yuji quickly dropped the doll and leaped backwards to cover Shana, a woman with long blonde hair and wearing a purple evening dress materialized out of the air. The doll returned to her arms in a flash as it spoke in a regretful tone of voice.

"M-mistress... Please forgive me. I was unable to take that brute of a Flame Haze down..."

The woman shushed the little doll with a finger.

"Now, now, my darling little Friagne. There is nothing to apologize about. I should be apologizing to you instead... for providing you with a Treasure that you were unaccustomed to."

With that, the woman quietly kissed the doll. Friagne's battered form flashed once, then sparkled as all of the damage inflicted to its body disappeared. With that order of business finished, the woman then turned her attention to Yuji.

"So... you're the Flame Haze who's been giving my precious Friagne so much trouble. Very impressive, defeating my 'Regular Sharp' Treasure with a single strike. I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you... 'Flaming-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter'. I am Huntress Marianne... and this is my precious Friagne."

Alastor spoke out with not a little consternation.

"You! You are that Flame Haze Murderer, then!"

Marianne smirked coldly.

"How crude. I prefer to think of myself as 'A Treasure Collector'. It's just that so many of you ill-mannered Flame Hazes get in my way... So I simply remove them, as befitting their status as obstacles."

The Crimson Denizen then specifically turned her attention to Yuji.

"You... you're rather cute, for a Flame Haze. It's too bad. If I didn't have Friagne, I might have seriously considered going after you."

Yuji looked distinctly taken aback.

"I... don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment."

Shana angrily shouted out from behind her hiding place.

"H-hey! Quit being so friendly with that old hag! You're a Flame Haze, aren't you!? Shouldn't you be kicking her ass instead of just standing around and holding a conversation with her!?"

Marianne gave Shana an ugly scowl.

"Calling me an 'old hag'!? My, what an ill-mannered little Mystes! If it weren't for that precious Treasure you're currently carrying within that flat-chested body of yours, I'd destroy you in an instant."

Yuji blinked.

"That's right... why aren't you fighting right now, anyway?"

Marianne gave a condescending smile.

"And risk damaging that Mystes? Hardly worth the effort. But we shall meet again, that I can assure you. I can't wait to see what's inside that flat-chested treasure chest..."

With that, Crimson Denizen and Rinne vanished in a blaze of blue flame. Shana angrily glared, red-faced, at the spot where the two had been a moment earlier. Her clenched hands trembled in barely contained rage.

"T-that... That old HAG!! I am NOT flat-chested...!!"

Yuji quickly interrupted her, his hands wildly gesturing in a placatory manner.

"L-look, I know you must be angry about that, but now's not the time..."

"Eh? What are you..."

Shana blinked, as she finally grasped the extent of the damage that had been inflicted by the playing card Treasure that Friagne had been wielding. The entire classroom was a wreck, and several of Shana's classmates were heavily injured. Some of the injuries looked damnably fatal.

"Everyone..."

Yuji quickly stepped in.

"I don't have much time. Please, step out of the way..."

Gesturing once, a flame of blue materialized on his finger. Alastor spoke up in alarm.

"No, wait! There's no Torches or incompletely-consumed Existences here for you to use! You're not thinking of...!"

Yuji smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Alastor... But I cannot use that other option. I swore to myself to never do it again."

Shana looked up to Yuji in anxious worry.

"Yuji, w-what are you going to do?"

Yuji smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Shana. There's no other way. There isn't enough leftover Power of Existence for me to utilize in repairing the damage, and I refuse to use your classmates for the purpose. So the only other option that remains is..."

Alastor grimly finished Yuji's sentence.

"...is to use himself instead. Even though it will most likely result in his own demise."

Without warning, Shana grabbed hold of Yuji's arm.

"...You... _YOU CAN'T!"_

Yuji looked down at Shana, his eyes alight with shock and surprise.

"Shana, why...?"

"You just can't! _I REFUSE!_"

Yuji's voice rose slightly in temper as he tugged at Shana's grasp in an attempt to gently free himself.

"Look, Shana! The seal's about to collapse. If it collapses before the damage can be repaired, there will be absolute chaos! I can't let that happen!"

Shana's mind raced.

_I can't let him disappear! I don't know why, but I DON'T WANT HIM TO DISAPPEAR! I..._

Then, a desperate idea came to her mind.

"You need a Torch, right!? Then... use me!"

The Flame Haze gawked at her in horrified surprise.

"Y-you!? I... I can't do that!"

Shana angrily shot a retort back.

"It... It's not a matter of whether you _can_, idiot! I'm _choosing_ to do this! _So do it!"_

"But Shana-"

"NO BUTS! JUST DO IT!"

* * *

It was nightfall. Yuji sat on the rooftop of the apartment complex where Shana lived. The stars were glowing up in the sky.

"...She's so odd. Spirited, but rather odd."

Alastor grunted.

"She chose to make that decision. It's not our place to refuse her, especially when she was so insistent upon it."

"True, but..."

Yuji sighed sadly in mid-speech.

"...I had to use up a lot of her Power of Existence in order to fix all of the damage. Now her remaining time is even shorter."

"Talking about me, idiot?"

Yuji looked over his shoulder to see Shana standing behind him, holding a steaming mug. She was dressed in a set of pink pajamas. Somewhat not surprisingly, the pajamas had prints of melon bread buns all over it from head to toe.

Yuji smiled.

"Ah... you're here. How did you know I was up here?"

Shana blushed slightly.

"You... I kinda felt a... a presence of sorts. As if I instinctively knew you were up here."

Alastor hummed.

"Mmm. It's not surprising, seeing that you've been exposed to the true nature of the Power of Existence. Your sensitivity to its changes most probably would be rising in consequence."

Shana shrugged, even as she walked over and sat down next to Yuji. She then handed him the mug. Yuji stared in askance at its contents.

"Erm... what's this?"

Shana's blush became more intense.

"C-clueless idiot. It's just a thank you. For not disappearing. It's hot cocoa. I kinda figured you might like some."

"Ah. Thanks."

As Yuji sipped at the mug, he looked over to Shana, a look of curiosity on his face.

"By the way, Shana, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you so worried about me disappearing? I'm just a Flame Haze..."

Shana's face became the color of a ripe tomato.

"I... I just didn't like the idea, that's all! And you're not 'just a Flame Haze'! To me, you're-"

Shana abruptly clammed up.

Yuji blinked.

"I'm what?"

"N-nothing! Never mind!"

"It feels as if there's a deeper reason than just-"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Agh, enough! I'm going to bed!"

"But Shana..."

Yuji looked somewhat downhearted as Shana headed over to the stairs without another word. Sighing, the Flame Haze sat down heavily on the rooftop.

"She... most of her flame's burned out now. It's just a matter of 'when' now as far as her disappearance from existence is concerned."

Alastor murmured in agreement.

"Mmm. I'm afraid so. It's too bad that- Wait, look!"

Yuji looked up in similar surprise as he suddenly sensed a strong outpouring of energy coming from Shana. Staring, the Flame Haze's eyes widened as he watched Shana descend the stairs.

"A-Alastor, did you just see...!?"

"I did indeed."

"Her... But... that's impossible! For her Flame of Existence to replenish itself like that...!"

"Not entirely impossible. Could it be that the Treasure within her could be... _that_...?"

* * *

On one of Misaki City's many streets, a young woman walked the night. A head of indigo hair, a flowing dress of white. A nearby Torch flickered out. On the opposite side of the city, a young man of hard features and brown hair floated in on the wind, riding a gigantic, heavily bound tome.

* * *

_I'd thought that I'd reached the end of my rope. No more Power of Existence, no more time left, poof, no more Shana. But as it turned out, I was completely ignorant of what was really going on... or of the greater chaos that was just about to come._

* * *

"Well, the situation appears to be stabilizing, but I'm starting to doubt whether I can actually succeed in properly correcting this whole... situation."

"So what are you going to do now?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories popped a vein.

"What do you THINK I'm going to do!? Honestly, you're no help at all. If you're going to contribute by lambasting me with pithy statements, you might as well actually contribute to the correction of the document itself!"

"Forget it. It's your mess, so it's your job."

"...Lazy bum."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	4. Chapter 834: The Abused Flame Haze

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Truly, you honor and praise this one too much. XD

**Blue Bragon:** Thank you. To be honest, however, I'm not exactly sure just _how much_ I should deviate. Making a parody deviate too far is risky business.

* * *

"Hmph. Hand me that page over there."

"Got it."

The Writer of Questionable Stories flipped through another pile of papers as he typed in several more lines.

"...Jesus H. Christ, this is getting worse by the second. First the main hero and heroine get their roles mixed up, then that Crimson Denizen 'Hunter' and Rinne as well... The only thing that doesn't seem to be absolutely distorted is the city itself!"

"Uh, don't stop now, but I think I just found another one."

The Writer of Questionable Stories looked up at the ceiling.

"...God in heaven, you know I'm a sinner... BUT MUST YOU PUNISH ME IN THIS FASHION!?"

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 834: The Abused Flame Haze**

* * *

_I'd really thought that my time was just about up, and that I'd somehow seen everything. Seen everything about that annoying Flame Haze Yuji, about the Crimson Realm, and about the threat in front of us. I'd resigned myself to disappearance._

_I guess it was then that Heaven, with its sick sense of humor, decided to simply complicate everything._

* * *

"...Alastor, just what was that? Is it honestly possible for one's Power of Existence to simply replenish itself out of nowhere?"

"It's unlikely, but it IS possible. But it would mean that..."

"She holds... THAT?!"

Alastor murmured in agreement.

"Indeed. Most likely, it would be the Midnight Lost Child... the 'Reiji Maigo'. One of the greatest and most sought-after Treasures of the Crimson Realm."

Yuji smiled. Alastor lifted the metaphorical eyebrow.

"Hmm? You suddenly seem to be a lot more cheerful."

"This... I know this just might make everything more complicated, but at the same time... I can't help but feel some hope for Shana now. Shouldn't we tell her?"

"Not for now. We don't know for sure _yet_ whether it really is the Midnight Lost Child. Rashly telling her without really making sure of it would only be a cruelty should the opposite turn out to be true. And if it really IS the Midnight Lost Child... all the more reason why we must never let Huntress Marianne get her hands on it."

Yuji reluctantly nodded.

"All right. We'll remain quiet about it... for now."

Yuji suddenly blinked as he felt something wet patter onto his sleeves.

"Eh?"

"Mmm. It's raining."

"Yeah. I just hope Shana got inside in time."

Alastor was quiet for a moment, then spoke.

"...In some ways, you haven't changed a bit ever since you left home. Always putting others before yourself, always thinking about others instead of yourself."

"Really?"

Abruptly there was a tug on Yuji's sleeve. Spinning around, Yuji found himself staring at Shana, still dressed in her pajamas and standing under an umbrella.

"H-hey... don't you have somewhere to go? It's raining."

Yuji blinked in some confusion.

"Y-yes, it is raining, but it doesn't bother me. But why are you out here? You should be inside."

Shana fidgeted with the handle of the umbrella.

"You... I just thought that maybe you should come inside right now. Besides, you're already stalking me most of the time, so it wouldn't be much more trouble."

Yuji smiled quietly.

"All right. Lead the way then."

* * *

Yuji rapidly looked about Shana's room, his eyes seeming to take in everything in just about every direction all at once.

"Ehhh... so this is a girl's room."

Shana turned red.

"Idiot! D-don't stare so much! Anyways... you'll sleep on the floor. Wilhelmina is asleep at the moment, so you should be fine as long as you don't make too much noise."

Yuji promptly plopped himself down on the carpet with little ceremony.

"Understood. Now then..."

Yuji began to undress himself, starting with unbuttoning and pulling off his gakuran. Shana's blushing immediately went up by several more notches as she frantically gesticulated with waving arms.

"H-hey! What are you doing!?"

Yuji blinked up at Shana.

"Changing."

Shana's entire room shook with several violent thumpings.

"C-clueless idiot! Are you now a flasher as well as a stalker!!? _Go change somewhere where I can't see you...!!"_

* * *

After a small round of beatings from the flat of Shana's blade, Yuji finally settled upon changing inside her walk-in closet. Shana stood outside the closet with her arms crossed and her katana at the ready. Her right eyebrow still twitched with some lingering vexation.

"...And don't come out until you're done changing! Understand!?"

"All right, all right..."

Shana sighed in frustration.

"Seriously, I just let you in because I wanted you to get out of the rain, and this is what happens?! Maybe I should've just let you stay outside."

Yuji's voice came back muffled through the closet door.

"It wouldn't have been any hassle for me if you'd done so. Flame Hazes aren't affected by the weather, and if I'd gotten dirty, Alastor could just clean me with his Flame of Purification. That includes my clothes, which is why I rarely need to change them."

Shana blinked.

"Eh...? That's handy, I guess... But I would still prefer a bath."

"..."

"What? Why are you getting all quiet all of a sudden?"

Shana abruptly blushed again.

"Wait! Don't tell me you're actually picturing _me_ taking a bath...!!"

"Uhhhh..."

Shana, crimson-faced, furiously lashed at the closet door with the flat of her katana.

"PERVERT! IDIOT! STALKER...!!"

"H-hey, don't rock the door so much! If you hit the door like that..."

Stumbling around inside the cramped confines of the closet space, Yuji's foot accidentally landed upon a very bristly hairbrush that had been left on the floor.

"OUCH!"

Shana's eyes widened in shock as the closet door abruptly exploded open and a half-dressed form tumbled out. Shana looked down at Yuji. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

_Black... black and white in a plaid pattern..._

Yuji was red in the face. So was Shana.

**THWUMP! THWUMP! THWUMP!**

The entire apartment complex shook as though an earthquake had struck.

* * *

Wilhelmina opened the door, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked into Shana's bedroom.

"Truly, is something amiss? I heard a great noise."

Shana was sitting in the middle of the floor, holding her katana.

"Ah! N-no, nothing's amiss, Wilhelmina. Just doing some maintenance on my Nietono no Shana."

"Truly, are you sure? Your face appears to be red. Truly, do you perhaps have a fever?"

Shana vehemently shook her head.

"N-no! Nothing like that. I'm fine."

"Truly, is that so? Very well, then. Hurry and sleep, for you have school tomorrow."

Shana vigorously nodded.

"Understood! Good night, Wilhelmina!"

Stifling a yawn, Wilhelmina shut the door and left. Shana sighed in relief, then threw a glance at the nearby bedroom window. It had been left ajar.

"..._Perverted idiot...!!"_

* * *

"Ouch... for a little girl, she hits HARD..."

Yuji winced as he nursed a blackened right eye. Being clothed in nothing but his boxers, the Flame Haze had to resort to his nightcape in order to retain some measure of self-modesty. The rest of his clothes had been hastily left behind in his headlong flight from an enraged Shana.

Alastor's voice seemed to hold a hint of amusement as he spoke.

"Quite surprising."

Yuji sighed.

"Maybe I should have just turned down her offer from the start. Are all girls like that?"

Alastor's voice seemed to shrug of its own accord.

"I wouldn't know."

Letting his breath out in an exasperated puff, Yuji leaned back and looked up at the rainclouds. Alastor's voice gently broke the silence.

"You really should head inside and get a proper night's rest. I'm sure her anger's abated by now, so I don't think it would hurt to go back."

Yuji had a mournful look on his face.

"You think so? I can't help but think that she can't stand me sometimes-"

Yuji's eyes suddenly widened as a fiercely antagonistic sensation flowed through his body. Getting to his feet, the Flame Haze frowned in concern.

"Alastor... did you feel that?"

"Mmm. A new arrival. Another Flame Haze, by the looks of things. Most likely though, the interloper will leave once they realize that we're here."

Yuji sat back down as he relaxed his alarm. His eyes slowly closed.

"...I hope so..."

* * *

_**PAN PAN PAN PAAAAAAAN~**_

Shana's alarm clock, shaped like a bun of melon bread, sounded off noisily and broke the silence of the tranquil morning. Groggily reaching over with one hand, Shana groaned and slammed the alarm clock off. She then snuggled back into her bed.

"Mmmm... my bed's really nice and warm this morning..."

Squinting with one opened eye, Shana noticed a rather familiar face just inches away from her own.

"Mmm, oh, it's just you Yuji... Huh? WAIT A MINUTE...!!"

Shana then pulled an absolutely perfect double take. Fully awake in an instant with wide eyes, the young female Mystes quickly yanked back the cover.

Once again, the apartment complex shook as though being visited by a seismic tremor.

**THWUMP! THWUMP! THWUMP!**

"YOU PERVERT STALKER...!!"

* * *

"Ah, Shana... Wait up! Listen, I apologize if I gave you a scare..."

Yuji frantically chased after Shana, who was doing her level best to avoid him by running to school at top speed. The hapless young Flame Haze was now sporting two black eyes.

"Idiot! What sort of a guy are you, crawling into a girl's bed like that!?"

Alastor's voice quickly broke in.

"In all fairness, it must be mentioned that he wasn't really awake when he came into your room last night."

"And just why were you back in my room!?"

Yuji sheepishly scratched at his face with a finger as he gave reply.

"Erm... I left my clothing behind when I was fleeing from the beating you were giving me, remember?"

Shana turned red.

"...Oh. _But then why were you in my bed!?"_

Alastor spoke up in a matter-of-fact tone.

"He was half-asleep when I finally managed to convince him to come back downstairs to your apartment in order to retrieve his clothing. If anything, he simply didn't see you in the bed. In his drowsy state, he just saw it as a place to sleep."

Shana scowled.

"Fine... I'll let it go this time. Just don't _ever_ let it happen again, or..."

As if to emphasize her point, the keen edge of Shana's razor-sharp katana shimmered. Yuji gulped.

"U-understood..."

* * *

"All right, give me another one."

Margery Daw, who happened to be passing by, stared out at the class of students busily engaged in running laps around the school track. She frowned for a moment before turning to Sydonay, the P.E. teacher.

"Hey... is this really all right?"

Sydonay grinned as he puffed on his cigarette and leaned back against the bleachers.

"It's a P.E. class, isn't it? Health makes wealth, ya know."

"Strange choice of words coming from a man who bums around on the bleachers and smokes a cancer stick the whole time. Some P.E. teacher you make. And why isn't Prayer Girl running laps like everyone else?"

The Misaki High English teacher pointed over to Hecate, who was sitting at the very top of the bleachers. As usual, she was locked in an attitude of intense prayer.

Sydonay lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing. Margery sighed in exasperation.

"You know, I know that this isn't really any of my business, but this sort of half-assed partiality isn't going to really benefit her. Also, aren't you being a little rougher than usual on all your students, making them do a pointless exercise like this?"

Sydonay frowned, but said nothing. Margery, realizing that she'd come close to hitting a nerve, gave a grin of her own.

"...Hmph. Don't tell me that you're feeling irritated because a boy was getting too close to your favorite little Prayer Girl."

Sydonay's frown tightened into a dark scowl. Margery's grin grew wider, but now refrained from saying anything more. After a long moment, Sydonay finally brought up his whistle and blew on it.

"All right, that's enough for now, everyone."

Immediately, everyone in the class, excluding Shana and Yuji, slumped to their feet, gasping for breath. Shana looked up at the Flame Haze with not a little surprise.

"...You've got more stamina than I thought."

Yuji simply gave off an embarrassed smile.

"Erm... comes with the job."

Sydonay turned to Hecate, who was still sitting at the top of the bleachers.

"We're done for today, Hecate. You can come down now."

Hecate, her monastic reverie broken, turned to Sydonay and nodded. Getting to her feet, the girl began to descend the bleachers when her foot suddenly caught on one of the benches. Hecate tripped and began to fall in wide-eyed shock. Sydonay yelled in alarm, even as he instinctively began to dash up the steps.

"...HECATE!"

Yuji, hearing the P.E. teacher's shout and seeing the reason for his dismay, quickly raised a hand.

"SEAL!"

The air flashed red, and time froze. Hecate halted in mid-fall. Before Shana could blink, Yuji dashed off towards the bleachers. A moment later, the seal disengaged, the flow of time resumed, and Hecate fell... into Yuji's waiting arms. The Flame Haze smiled and looked down at Hecate.

Hecate blushed.

Sydonay blinked in dumbfounded surprise.

"...EH?! How... how did you get over here so quickly!? You were standing halfway across the field...!"

Margery grinned and turned to leave.

"Now, now, Mr. P.E. Teacher, that's not the problem here. Shouldn't you instead be thanking that fine young gentleman for saving your favorite student?"

Sydonay grumbled, but gave Yuji a grudging nod.

"...Thanks, kid."

Yuji just smiled as he set Hecate back onto her feet.

"You're welcome."

Back on the other side of the school field, the rest of the class was abuzz with glee and admiration at Yuji's inconceivable save.

"...Wow, Hirai's so cool!"

"How did he move so fast!?"

Shana, however said nothing. Instead, she had a distinctly irritated expression on her face as she watched Hecate blush and stare at Yuji.

"...Idiot."

* * *

Alastor's voice was slightly chiding as he spoke to Yuji on the school rooftop.

"I think you were being a little reckless, using a seal for something like that."

Yuji just smiled it off.

"But as long as we help people, isn't it fine?"

"Helping people is all right, but that's not the true purpose of a Flame Haze. Don't forget that our real reason for being here is to maintain the balance between the two worlds."

Yuji nodded.

"Understood, understood. In any case, we should-"

Yuji suddenly paused as he felt a presence behind him. Alastor gave first word.

"...So, you didn't leave."

Slowly turning around, Yuji found himself staring at a young teenager who physically appeared to possess approximately the same age as his own. Light brown hair and sharp, handsome features defined his looks. The young man was dressed in a dark brown trenchcoat and had a gigantic, heavily-bound tome slung on a strap over his shoulder.

The new arrival grinned.

"I'd felt the presence of another Flame Haze when we first came here, but I'd no idea it was actually the Flaming-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter himself. Talk about your wild coincidences, eh, Marcosius?"

The book at his side laughed wildly.

"Hahahaw! Quite so, my raging bundle of hormones, Keisaku Satou!"

Alastor gave reply in a grim tone.

"So, it's you... Claw and Fangs of Violation, Marcosius, and Chanter of Elegies, Keisaku Satou!"

Yuji blinked.

"You know these two?"

"Mmm. Among all of the Flame Hazes, these two are known for being the most bloodthirsty. They pursue Denizens and hunt them down beyond the scale of simple duty."

Marcosius laughed again.

"Hah! I can't help but blush at the compliment!"

Yuji blinked.

"So... why are you here?"

Keisaku grinned.

"Simple. We're currently after a certain Denizen that fled to this city... but I want to make sure we won't encounter any obstacles while we're doing so. So... I'm just removing any potential obstacles."

Yuji's eyes widened.

"Wait, you don't mean..."

The air turned crimson as the entire area was placed under a seal. Keisaku's grin turned vicious as he snapped open the gigantic tome.

"Sorry about this, kid, but we just want to make sure you don't get in the way of our hunting season. Don't worry, we won't kill you... but we _are_ going to make sure that you don't get in the way!"

Yuji desperately flung up his arms as his eyes and hair came ablaze.

"W-wait! Not here! Classes are still in session! Someone might-"

A massive explosion of purple fire erupted from the rooftop, cutting off Yuji's words.

* * *

"Well, that's quite the displaced scenario."

The Writer of Questionable Stories sighed.

"Quite. Now all we need to do is just properly re-arrange this sad, sorry mess. Jesus H. Christ, this one's going to be a bitch to correct."

"...You're not thinking of killing Yuji off, are you?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories glared.

"You really think I'm that stupid? You're making me feel ashamed to know you."

"Thanks."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	5. Chapter 2715: Irrespective Thoughts

**JohnPeacekeeper:** One of my favorite scenes as well. I never get tired of seeing Yuji being such a clueless, hapless idiot. I just hope I can deal with Yuji and Keisaku's eventual re-match to come with as much aplomb.

**CapoExecutor:** Hah! Let's just say that one might really be able to call her "The Specialist of Everything" since she can actually cook as well. As for Johan and Pheles... That's a loooong way off. XD

* * *

"...Was it really necessary to leave the last section at such an escapist form of a cliffhanger?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled.

"Picky picky picky... Don't nitpick so much. And anyways, it's not like I'm just leaving the whole thing hanging for a month or so. Suspense is the spice of life."

"Wasn't that 'variety'?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories rolled his eyes.

"Blah blah blah."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 2715: Irrespective Thoughts**

* * *

Yuji gasped for breath, bracing his legs into the concrete of the school rooftop as he struggled back to his feet.

Keisaku gave his fellow Flame Haze a wolfish grin.

"You're not half-bad, withstanding a shot like that. Now let's see you handle me when I'm being serious!"

Marcosius guffawed with glee in turn.

"Hoohah! Let's smash and brawl!"

Yuji coughed as he brought up his arms.

"Why are you even doing this!? Shouldn't you be going after the Denizen!?"

Alastor's voice came in, heavy and grim.

"There's no use talking to them at this stage. Once those two make up their minds to offer battle, there's no negotiating. Only way out of this now is to either win... or lose."

Yuji scowled darkly as he barely managed to leap backwards in time to dodge an incoming blast. The Chanter of Elegies had transformed into the shape of a massive, violet-furred werewolf, with sharp claws and rending fangs. Alastor's voice held a note of alarmed warning as he spoke.

"The 'Toga', the battle-dress of the Chanter of Elegies! Be careful! That's not his real body!"

Yuji grunted an affirmation as he threw a curving fireball. Keisaku merely breathed his own gout of purple flame, overpowering it with a single blast. The Chanter of Elegies laughed mockingly.

"This is ALL you've got? And to think that I originally came here expecting a challenge-"

Keisaku's gloating was abruptly cut off as a trio of fireballs suddenly broke through the breath of flame that the Chanter of Elegies had breathed. Slamming into him with considerable force, the attack shoved the antagonistic Flame Haze backwards. Keisaku's voice now held a grudging note of respect.

"Hmph. Not bad. An attack within an attack, eh?"

* * *

"So, another brutish Flame Haze has made their appearance here. I guess I don't have any more time to waste on a Mystes. That's too bad."

"...Mistress, shouldn't we act? The longer we wait..."

The Huntress shushed her doll with a slender finger and began to lovingly caress it.

"No, there is no need, my darling Friagne. It seems that those two imbeciles are busily engaged in fighting eachother. How sad. They're stupid enough to even turn on their own kind. But now on that matter..."

Marianne looked down at the gleaming depths of the Crystal Altar and scowled darkly, as several representative tongues of azure flame winked out and disappeared.

"...Some insolent upstart appears to be consuming my Torches... and it took me quite a bit of effort to properly place them there."

Friagne broke in, a note of worried concern in his voice.

"But... if the Flame Haze are busily engaged with each other, who is eating the Torches?"

Marianne angrily shook her head.

"Something that's not a Flame Haze, that's for certain. Perhaps... another Denizen? But I will find out soon enough. I will not let this plan for bringing us eternity come to ruin, not when we are so close in sight to the finish."

Marianne lovingly and obsessively looked down at Friagne.

"Soon... soon you will have an actual existence of your own, rather than relying on my own Power of Existence every three days."

"Mistress... You are doing far too much for a humble Rinne. I would have been happy enough with this bond we share..."

The Huntress began to nuzzle the doll.

"Oh, my precious little Friagne... you are far too good to me..."

The cheeseballing, vomit-inducing scene would go on for the rest of the day.

* * *

Yuji lightly landed on his feet as he summoned another volley of fireballs in a wide, curving arc. The Chanter of Elegies simply vaulted over them and responded in kind with a volley of his own fire.

Alastor spoke.

"Tell me something, Chanter of Elegies. Who is your prey in any case?"

Keisaku grinned.

"Hmph. We came here while tracking down that damned little temptress, Leanan-sidhe."

Alastor's reply held a tone of shock and surprise in his voice.

"Leanan-sidhe! Can it be...!? In any case, there's no real reason to be pursuing her! She isn't a threat to humans!"

Keisaku's werewolf face held an expression of contemptuous disgust.

"No threat, you say!? Every Denizen is a threat to humanity by the simple fact that it exists!"

Marcosius laughed like a tipsy man on happy hour.

"Gufawhahahah! And we're just doing our job by hunting down every last Denizen! We'll crush, we'll smash, we'll rend, we'll tear them into itty-bitty pieces and stamp on the remains until there's nothing left!"

_"Wave and wave, wave some more! A tidal wave to even the score!"_

Keisaku breathed another gout of flame as he leaped high into the air. Yuji shielded himself by forming a nimbus of his own crimson fire, then retaliated by re-forming his shield into a flaming spear and hurling it at the Chanter of Elegies. Keisaku's voice crowed out.

"Hah! Too slow!"

Even as Keisaku began to move in order to sidestep, however, the head of the spear suddenly split and divided into a myriad of keen, homing bolts of fire. Yuji's voice rang with purpose.

_"Gae Bolg!"_

"Graaaargh!"

The hail of flaming spearheads hit home, piercing Keisaku's werewolf-form in a multitude of places and breaking the Chanter of Elegies' eldritch form into a shattering cloud of purple-furred fragments.

Keisaku dropped to the ground, heavily battered, but still standing and still defiantly clutching the opened Grimoire.

"Gurgh... That was quite impressive. But I'm not through yet!"

Before Yuji could make reply, however, the door to the school rooftop opened with a slam.

"Yuji!"

The Crimson-Eyed Blazing-Haired Hunter turned around in dismay as he recognized the owner of the voice.

"Shana! Get back-"

Alastor's broke in with urgency.

"No! Don't drop your guard...!!"

_"...A single dram, a single drop! Take a hit and watch him plop!"_

BAM!

Yuji's eyes widened as he felt the shock of the violet firebolt slam into him. The fierce velocity of the attack lifted him off his feet and slammed him off the railing that ringed the school rooftop, sending him falling to the ground below. Shana dashed over to the railing.

"YUJI...!!"

Keisaku got to his feet.

"Hmph. Well, that's that. I've got to thank you, little girl. If it weren't for the distraction you brought in just now, I would've had a hard time with him."

Shana clenched her fists as she angrily whirled towards the Chanter of Elegies and pulled out her katana.

"You! You... you bastard Denizen!"

Keisaku grinned.

"Hold yourself back, little girl. I'm not interested in hurting humans... or Torches, or Mystes. Not my style. I'm a Flame Haze, just like your friend over there. Gave the Crimson-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter a name, did you? Just like naming a favorite pet?"

Shana's eyes narrowed.

"You...!! It's nothing like that! And anyways, if you claim to be a Flame Haze, how can you turn on your own kind!?"

The Chanter of Elegies snorted.

"Just because we all call ourselves 'Flame Haze' doesn't mean that we always act in concert with each other. All of us have our own opinions, priorities, and methods of upholding our missions and duties as Flame Hazes. And just like now, those differences in some cases bring complicated difficulties. I simply dealt with him now to remove a potential future inconvenience."

"But you...!"

Keisaku waved a dismissive hand.

"Anyways, enough talk. Maybe you should go tend to your friend down there. One of these days, perhaps, we'll meet again. At that time... maybe I'll find out your reason for being able to move in the Seal with such freedom, hmm? Ah, but before I forget..."

The Chanter of Elegies snapped his fingers. In a matter of moments, the damage to the school rooftop was completely repaired. With a final wave, he hopped aboard the Grimoire and flew off out of sight.

Shana gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana.

_That bastard...! How dare he... Yuji!_

Turning away, Shana quickly hurried downstairs to ascertain the other Flame Haze's condition.

* * *

"Hirai! Eh? Not here again, huh? That must be quite the flu..."

Margery Daw sighed as she checked off the entry in the attendance book. Khamsin leaned over in Shana's direction as he gave a whisper under his breath.

"Hey, Shana... you wouldn't happen to know where Hirai-kun really is or how he's really doing, do you?"

Even in a whisper, Shana stammered.

"It... well, it's just like as was mentioned. He's been pretty ill lately."

"Ehhh... An entire week? That's some flu all right..."

Even as Margery loudly cleared her throat and pointedly glared in their direction, forcing the two to turn their heads back to their desks, Shana sighed as she thought back.

* * *

_Immediately after the fight between Yuji and Keisaku..._

"Yuji! Yuji! Are you all right?!"

The Flame Haze painfully got to his feet. Numerous scratches and bruises were evident on his body and clothes due to the attack and subsequent fall he'd taken. But the worst part was the look on his face.

It was unreadable, it was incongruous. But it was, all the same, a look that harbored indescribable pain. Shana stopped dead in her tracks, her voice laced with anxiety and worry.

"...Yuji... does something hurt?"

Yuji smiled weakly.

"Er... not really. Just... tell everyone that I've gone home sick, all right?"

"But Yuji...!"

The Flame Haze stopped her with an upraised hand. His voice was as cold as ice.

"Don't follow me."

Shana froze. She would remain stock-still for the next few hours, staring at the spot where Yuji had been standing, even though he had long since already left.

* * *

Shana sighed in frustration as she slammed the memory shut like a displeasing book.

_Honestly, that idiot stalker... Going off for a week and never showing up..._

Shana clenched a fist. She didn't even notice the pencil breaking in her hand as she looked out the window.

_Yuji... Where in the world are you...?_

* * *

"Mmmrf... smrch..."

Yuji sat on the school rooftop, eating a riceball. Alastor's voice was laced with a hint of concern.

"Aren't you distancing yourself a little too much from her?"

Swallowing his mouthful of seaweed and rice, Yuji blinked.

"Mmm? Alastor, that's odd."

"What is?"

"That's the first time I've heard you refer to Shana as 'her' and not 'that Mystes'."

Alastor's reply came back a little flustered.

"W-well... She has shown herself to be a little more than just a usual case, I suppose. But anyway, back to the question I asked you before: Aren't you distancing yourself from her a little too much?"

Yuji's face once again had a pained look.

"It's better this way, Alastor."

"Mmm. Maybe. Maybe not."

Suddenly, another voice broke in upon their conversation.

"...Hirai-san?"

Alastor immediately clammed up. Yuji spun around to see Hecate standing in the open doorway of the rooftop entrance.

"Ah? H-Hecate-san? What are you doing here?"

Hecate quietly walked over to the railing before she spoke.

"I often come here in order to pray when nobody is around. Speaking of which, I heard that you were out sick. Why are you here, then, instead of home?"

Yuji remained silent. Hecate didn't attempt to press him for the answer either. Instead, she quietly looked out at the surrounding cityscape as she spoke.

"Hirai-san, would you like to go somewhere with me after school?"

Yuji looked up and blinked in some astonishment. Hecate repeated herself.

"I said, would you like to go somewhere with me after school?"

At a loss for words, the young Flame Haze struggled for an answer.

"E-erm... sure."

* * *

"Well, that should make sure that we're left in peace for a sufficient length of time. I doubt that the Blazing-Eyed kid's going to stir up much trouble for us in the near future."

Marcosius sighed.

"Ehhh... in a way though, that's liable to be a bit boring. I was hoping to fight him again. He wasn't a bad fighter in a scrape."

The Chanter of Elegies grinned.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll have plenty of future opportunities. Flame Hazes are immortal, barring any unfortunate incidents, after all. Now then... back to our real matter at hand. To find Leanan-sidhe. We'll need a person who properly knows the city like the back of their hand... Hmm?"

"I told you, quit bothering me! Don't you creeps know that when a woman wants to be left alone, _she wants to be left alone_...!?"

Keisaku turned around to find a mature, well-endowed blonde woman, dressed in a purple business dress and miniskirt, being hassled by several men. Before the Chanter of Elegies could properly respond to the situation before him, however, one of the men fell to the pavement like a rock, having been kicked in the groin by a stiletto high-heeled shoe.

Having seen their comrade join the shades of the temporarily-dead, the rest of the men grew enraged.

"YOU BITCH!"

The woman simply decked another one with a rocketing uppercut. Before she could do much more damage, however, one of them managed to sneak up behind her and grabbed her arms, preventing her from moving. She struggled to free herself, cursing vigorously all the while.

"LET GO, YOU DAMNED FIENDS!"

One of the men, apparently their leader, spoke up with a beastly grin.

"Not yet, you boozing tramp. Giving some of our friends here such painful memories... it would only be polite of you to erase them with some more pleasant ones. How about you-"

**THWACK! THWOCK! POW!**

Margery blinked as the entire band of womanizing hoodlums suddenly slumped into limp unconscious heaps on the pavement. Looking up with not a little bit of bewildered astonishment, the Misaki High teacher found herself staring at a young man dressed in a dark brown trenchcoat, sporting a massive book on a strap at his side.

"Hello there, ma'am. I'd like to make use of some services which I'd like you to provide."

Margery lifted an eyebrow.

"Look here, kid... I appreciate you helping me out of a small jam, but don't get me wrong... I'm not a woman of the streets. I'm a respectable English teacher."

The kid chuckled.

"Haha... I'm sorry if I made you misunderstand. Let me put it this way: I'm new here, and I could use the expertise of a person who actually knows his or her way around this city. I simply figured that you would suffice."

Margery turned to leave.

"Sorry kid, I really don't have time for this. Perhaps you should-"

Suddenly, another voice broke in, high, wild with abandon, and gleeful.

"Hahaha, I told you, my woman-seducing love machine, Keisaku Satou! You shouldn't have bothered with this woman! Guhahahaw, I could smell the rank stench of booze on her breath from a mile away! Perhaps you should try those- Eeep!"

Margery gave the huge book a long hard stare.

"...Hey kid, did that stupid book just talk?"

Keisaku grinned.

"Yep. Marcosius here tends to give annoying speech-"

**POW!**

"Ooof!"

Without warning, Margery gave Marcosius an impressive right hook. She then turned back to Keisaku and flashed him a grin of her own.

"If you can tell that idiot Marco to shut up with his catcalling, I guess I might as well show you around."

Keisaku grinned back.

"Agreed."

* * *

As the bell rang, signalling yet another end to classes, Shana stepped outside the school gates. She paused, taking one last look around the school. Although nobody around her noticed, there was a look of worry on the young Mystes' face.

_Yuji... You didn't go off and disappear, did you?_

"...Did I make you wait long?"

"No."

Shana spun around as her ears caught a familiar voice.

_Yuji...!?_

Her eyes widened as she saw Yuji standing at a nearby street corner. Even as Shana was about to open her mouth to call out to him, however, another figure appeared and met up with the young Flame Haze. Shana stopped dead in her tracks.

_M-Miss Convent!? What's she doing here!? And why's Yuji with her!? Why!?_

Without a moment's hesitation, Shana followed after them as they walked off down the street, side by side.

* * *

"Wow, these stained glass panels are pretty impressive."

Yuji looked up at the windows as colored sunbeams danced on the floor of the hallway. Hecate nodded.

"They are indeed. I often find them pleasing to look at whenever I feel worried or bothered. This art exhibition is one of my favorite places. Ah, excuse me for a second. Please wait here."

Hecate turned to leave in the direction of the ladies' bathroom. As Yuji took a seat on a nearby bench, Alastor spoke up.

"...Are you sure it's okay like this? You've been staying too far away from Shana."

"It's all right. Besides, I can feel her presence. She's been following us, although I'm not exactly sure why."

"Still..."

"I told you before, Alastor... it's better this way. It's safer for her."

* * *

Shana couldn't help but grumble as she watched Yuji sit on the bench.

_Honestly, that idiot stalker now forces _me_ to be a stalker just to find out what he's up to!? Seriously, going to an art exhibition with Miss Convent of all things... Wait a minute, wouldn't that be... A D-D-DATE!?_

"My, you must be fond of that boy over there, seeing how you watch him so intently."

Shana spun around, red-faced, as she found herself staring at a young woman with indigo-colored hair and eyes. The newcomer was swathed in a swirling white dress. In her hands was a small blue flame.

Power of Existence.

Shana backed away, a little fearfully. The violet-haired woman smiled gently.

"Ah, so you've noticed? Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you. Disturbing the balance of this world is not my intention."

Shana blinked.

"W-who are you, really?"

The woman smiled.

"My name is Leanan-sidhe. As you have already guessed, I am a Denizen of the Crimson Realm. But you may simply refer to me as Leanan."

Not too far away, a Torch faded out into a thin wreath of blue flame, which suddenly flowed into the Denizen's hands. Leanan-sidhe smiled as she cupped her hands and the flame vanished.

"As you can see, I do not eat humans. I simply eat dying Torches... thus, others from the Crimson Realm often refer to me as 'The Corpse Collector'. And your name would be...?"

"...Shana."

"Very nice to meet you, Shana. So you're a Mystes, aren't you? My, but you are an interesting one, having retained your sanity in the face of the truth... in regards to both of the reality around you, as well as that of your own inevitable disappearance."

Leanan-sidhe paused.

"Or is it... that you have simply just resigned yourself to eventual non-existence?"

Shana looked away.

"I... haven't thought about it much lately. I try not to dwell upon it."

Leanan-sidhe was silent for a long moment.

"Well, then... in any event, why are you following that young boy, may I ask? He seems to have a peculiar... sense about him."

"Yuji? He's a perverted stalker of a Flame Haze."

Leanan-sidhe gave the boy a long glance.

"I don't recall ever hearing of a Flame Haze named Yuji..."

"That's just the name I gave him. He's really the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

Leanan-sidhe stopped short.

"Wait... did you just say, 'Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter'?"

Shana nodded.

"Then... I would assume that Alastor is with him then?"

"Yes. Why? Do you know him?"

Leanan-sidhe nodded.

"Something like that, yes. So if Alastor is here... then I will most likely be able to avoid any futile battles."

Shana raised an eyebrow.

"Futile? But you're a Denizen, aren't you? Aren't Flame Hazes your enemies?"

Leanan-sidhe just smiled.

"Alastor and I... we have reached something of an understanding. As long as I do nothing to upset the balance of this world, then he leaves me in peace. As I have already mentioned, I only consume Torches that are on the verge of complete disappearance."

"But why are you consuming these Torches anyway? What would you need with all that Power of Existence?"

Leanan-sidhe gave an enigmatic smile.

"Suffice it to say, it is for a wish... A single wish that is my sole reason for living. My sole reason for existence."

* * *

"...So you get all of it, right, right?"

Margery Daw sighed and nodded.

"Yes, yes, I get it all, stupid Marco... Although a lot of it still strikes me as some sort of crazed fabrication that one would find in a cheesy light novel at a local bookstore. All of this 'Crimson Realm' stuff makes my head spin."

Keisaku paused.

"Ms. Margery, you wouldn't happen to know of any place where people gather in large numbers, do you? That would be a perfect place to find a high percentage of Torches."

"Torches, eh? So you can find a place to find your 'Denizen'?"

The Chanter of Elegies nodded.

"Right. My target usually hangs about in places where there are large numbers of Torches."

Margery blinked.

"Well, in that case... why not try out that station over there? Just past that intersection. A lot of people are often there."

Keisaku nodded.

"Well, then, I... Wait!"

Marcosius guffawed.

"Felt it too, eh, kid? This is high-quality Seal we're talking about! That's some Denizen on the other end of it. Feels like... it's the Huntress!"

Keisaku nodded and began to run, only pausing briefly to call back over his shoulder.

"Stay here! Don't get involved in this! I'll find you afterwards!"

Margery blinked in some confusion at his sudden exit.

"Eh...?"

* * *

The Huntress Marianne frowned as she looked over the street.

"...That's odd... I could've sworn that the trail of disappearing Torches ended up right here... Where did that impudent meddler go?"

Suddenly, her musings were cut short by a barrelling blast of violet fire. Looking up in vexed annoyance, the female Denizen swerved out of the way as Keisaku landed in the middle of the crimson-stained intersection. The Chanter of Elegies had a wolfish, bloodthirsty grin on his face.

"Well, well, well... Isn't this great, Marcosius? To think that there were_ two _Denizens in this city... And the Huntress, to boot!"

The Claw and Fangs of Violation laughed with gusto.

"Hah! It's like hunting a mouse and finding a deer instead! Looks like hunting season's officially started!"

Within another second, Keisaku had transformed into his werewolf-form and began to furiously recite an improvised line.

_"...Half a handful, a red sky to stop! Let them fall and see them drop!"_

A flurry of purplish spears rained down from the heavens. Marianne smirked as she effortlessly dodged every one.

"It seems that you know of the one who's been eating my Torches."

"Hah! As if we'll let you have our damned prey! Leanan-sidhe is MY target!"

Marianne's eyes widened.

"Oh... so it's the Corpse Collector. Well then..."

Without further ado, the Huntress began to float away. Keisaku angrily spat a bolt of purple fire.

"Hold on a second! Where do you think you're running off to!?"

Marianne smirked again.

"Now that I know the identity of our little interloper, I have no further use for dealing with the likes of you. So long."

"Don't think you're getting away that quickly! TAKE THIS!"

Even as the flames hit, however, they abruptly dissipated, leaving the Huntress unharmed. Holding up a hand sporting a silver ring with a red gem inset, Marianne laughed mockingly.

"Azure, my ring of fire-repelling!"

Keisaku and Marcosius both cursed mightily.

"What!? THAT'S NOT FAIR!! Get back here...!!"

However, it was far too late to take any further action. Within another moment, the Denizen had vanished. Keisaku dropped to the ground, his battle-form deactivated. His hands trembled as they tightly gripped the Grimoire.

"Damn it... Damn it... DAMN IT! STUPID BASTARD DENIZENS! STUPID CITY!"

The Seal expired, the shades of red vanished, and the flow of time resumed. The Chanter of Elegies, uncaring of whether people saw him or not, continued to scream and curse mightily, occasionally pounding the pavement with a clenched fist for good measure. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him.

Margery blinked.

"I take it that it didn't go so well for you?"

Keisaku grumbled and got to his feet.

"None of your business."

Marcosius laughed it off.

"Heeheehee! Ah, don't worry about him. In a matter of moments, my little bundle of teenage hormonal anger and issues, Keisaku Satou, will be right as rain again. He just has his moments."

Even as the Flame Haze turned to leave, however, Margery stopped him in his tracks with a single sentence.

"...You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

The Chanter of Elegies looked over his shoulder at the English teacher.

"What's it to you?"

Margery simply gave him a peculiar smile.

* * *

Yuji, sitting on the bench, blinked as he felt a familiar presence.

"...The Huntress is on the move again. Should we respond?"

Alastor gave a negative.

"No. The Chanter of Elegies is there. I'm sure that he will be able to handle it."

"Mmm. All right."

Alastor paused for a long moment.

"This behavior of avoidance isn't like you at all."

Yuji smiled weakly.

"Perhaps."

Alastor's voice suddenly turned grim.

"Your performance lately hasn't been doing too well. I feel that the Mystes has been more of a detriment rather than a help to you lately."

Yuji shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. Alastor continued.

"Maybe then... it is time that we put an end to this problematic business and permanently destroyed the Mystes ourselves."

The Flame Haze's eyes widened in shock.

"...WHAT!?"

* * *

Leanan-sidhe paused as she reached the end of the staircase.

"Well... Perhaps on this bright note, we should part ways. You've told me all the information I needed to know. I will need to keep on moving. There are hounds out for my blood, and they have followed me to this city. It would not do for you to be caught in the middle. But before I leave... I will freely give information in exchange for your information freely given. If you have a question, ask it, and I will answer."

Shana paused for a long moment, then spoke.

"I... don't understand Yuji. I don't understand him at all. It's not a question, really, but... I can't stand him! And yet at the same time, I can't stand it when he's not there..."

Leanan-sidhe smiled.

"Ah, the struggles of a young woman. Well, it sounds as if your Flame Haze friend is someone deeply important to you. Have no fear, your answers to that dilemma will eventually appear, in time. But on that note..."

The purple-haired Denizen's face turned serious.

"...Are you really going to leave things the way they are? I haven't preyed on you yet since your flame still burns brightly. But... Never forget that I prey on weakened Torches, especially ones that do not care or are unable to make a significant difference or impact on their world in the long run. Are you going to remain a Torch that does not affect her world? Or are you willing to struggle in order to make a difference, no matter where you are, what you are, and what you do?"

Shana blinked in some confusion.

"...What are you...?"

Leanan-sidhe spoke gravely.

"The Huntress Marianne... she is planning to do something to this city. Something terrible. Everything in this city, not just the people... The houses, the trees, the rocks, the streets, the city's residents, _everything_... _Everything will be consumed!"_

* * *

_I'd never really paid much attention to this city that I'd lived in. I'd always considered Misaki to be a pathetic dump with its only redeeming feature in the form of high-quality melon bread. And yet to think that everything... everything that I'd known and grown accustomed to would disappear... My chaotic world just suddenly grew a whole lot _more_ chaotic._

* * *

"...Well, this is quite the literary mess you've cooked up. I wonder how you're going to handle this?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"Same way I always do. A cup of guava juice won't hurt."

"Don't forget that guava juice is what caused it in the first-"

The Writer of Questionable Stories hastily covered up his ears with both hands.

"Not another word. NOT ANOTHER WORD! I'm NOT listening! Lalalalala~!"

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	6. Chapter 666: Simplification

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Of course, it just wouldn't be Yuji without his ability to attract girls without even moving a muscle. As for the fight scenes, those are probably going to be the most challenging. Shana tends to plunge head-first into every fight. Yuji's more of a methodical fighter, so all of the fights will most likely need to be completely re-written from the ground-up. Keisaku and Margery go so well together, don't they? XD

**ColinatorGX: **Thanks. I hope I don't disappoint with future chapters.

**HeroGuardian: **Thank you. I wonder how Kazumi as the Supreme Throne will turn out... Hmm...

* * *

"So the last portion of the first arc's finally here, eh?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories raised an eyebrow.

"And just what is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. I must say, though, you've been busy. Who would have thought that you would actually be able to complete_ six chapters _for this sorry convoluted mess? You have more dedication to this than I initially surmised."

"Somebody's gotta fix this mess. And since I started this, I have to finish it."

"Right. Let's just hope you don't make any more world-altering catastrophes in the near future."

"Stop rubbing it in."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 666: Simplification, Deactivation, Evasion**

* * *

_Everything's coming to an unavoidable apex, it seems. Leanan-sidhe the Corpse Collector has told me that the entire city's going to disappear, thanks to that doll-fetish pervert Crimson Denizen, the Huntress Marianne._

_It's true I don't like Misaki City. As I said before, the only thing that keeps me here is the melon bread. And yet... to see it all come crashing down like this... to see everyone that I'm so used to seeing just up and disappear... Margery, Sydonay, Khamsin, Hecate... Heck, even those two incesting sickos Sorath and Tiriel..._

_...And Yuji. Even though he drives me up the wall with his clueless idiocy... I don't want him to disappear. I can't bear or stand the thought._

_So here I go. Even though I hate Misaki City, I have to save it. Somehow._

* * *

Shana, upon hearing Leanan-sidhe's words, stood dead in her tracks, frozen in shock and astonishment.

"...Everything... will disappear? Everything?"

The purple-haired Denizen gravely nodded.

"Everything. So tell me, Mystes Shana, companion of Yuji, Flame Haze of the Crimson-Hair and Blazing-Eyes, what are you going to do? Are you going to act as a human being... or are you going to act as a Torch?"

Shana had a conflicted look in her eyes.

"I... I'm just a Torch. A Mystes. How can I be a human being when-"

Leanan-sidhe smiled mysteriously.

"...Didn't you mention that Yuji seems to consider you one, in spite of the fact that the 'real you' has long since vanished?"

Shana looked up at the Denizen for a long moment. The look of conflict in her eyes slowly changed to one of self-determination.

"All right. I'll be off then. Thank you, Leanan-sidhe."

Leanan-sidhe nodded in return.

"Do not thank me yet, child. Thank me when you've succeeded in saving this city."

Bowing quickly, Shana raced away to find Yuji.

* * *

Yuji gasped in horror.

"What!? _Kill_ her!? Alastor, are you crazy!? How could I-"

Alastor's voice was grim.

"My suggestion is not one springing from mental incapacitation or delusion. It is simply a remark based upon simple practicality. Her presence is becoming a hindrance to you, thus the simplest course of action would be to remove her entirely. Deep down inside... you are still wounded. Wounded from your unexpected loss to the Chanter of Elegies."

Yuji gritted his teeth.

"..."

Alastor continued.

"Your pride was wounded that day. Your pride as a Flame Haze. And, despite the fact that you no doubt care for that Mystes on a certain level, you cannot help but feel a certain wellspring of annoyance and vexation when you now look at _it. _After all, was not the Mystes indirectly responsible for your defeat?"

Yuji's voice became angry.

"That's not true! It... it's not her fault! She... she was only worried!"

Alastor was silent for a long moment before he resumed speaking in a more gentle tone.

"...Then why are you avoiding her?"

Yuji clenched his eyes in pain.

"I... I don't want to put her into any more dangerous situations."

"Isn't that just an excuse? An excuse, since you cannot bear to think of her in such an ill fashion? That you cannot bear the idea of _blaming_ her?"

"..."

"Face the truth: You are avoiding her because deep down, you are indirectly blaming her for your defeat, not because you want her to avoid danger. The Chanter of Elegies, even with his insatiable bloodthirst, does not care to directly endanger humans. You were simply latching onto the first convenient pretext that came to hand."

Yuji gave no reply. Alastor finished.

"So... in the end, what are you going to do, Flame Haze? Although I have suggested the Mystes' destruction since it is the most efficient course of action, it ultimately comes down to your decision. After all, you are the one I have chosen, trusted, and empowered to carry out my immortal will."

Yuji opened his mouth.

"I..."

His coming statement, however, was quickly cut off as a familiar voice broke in.

"Yuji."

Looking up in some startled surprise, Yuji looked up to see Shana. The Flame Haze blinked.

"...Shana? What are you doing here?"

"I need to tell you something. Something urgent."

Even as Shana spoke, however, Hecate arrived. Shana cursed under her breath before turning up the sarcasm to maximum magnitude.

"Hmph. _Miss Convent_. _How pleasant to see you_."

Hecate simply nodded quietly, then turned to Yuji.

"Well, shall we be off?"

Yuji looked up at Shana. He then looked up at Hecate. As if he'd suddenly come to a conclusion, the Flame Haze quickly got to his feet, turned to Hecate, and bowed deeply.

"Sorry! I just remembered that I have to take care of something. Please forgive me, Hecate-san. Let me make it up to you another day."

A slight look of disappointment entered Hecate's eyes, but it quickly dissipated as she briefly nodded.

"Go then. It must be awfully important if you need to go now. Just be sure to repay me later. Take me... out to somewhere nice to eat, or something like that."

Shana lifted an eyebrow at Hecate's words, but said nothing.

"Thank you, Hecate. Shana!"

Yuji quickly ran off towards the exit with Shana in tow. Hecate stared at the two departing figures for a long moment before finally murmuring a small whisper.

"...A rival."

* * *

Margery unlocked the door, granting admittance to herself and the Chanter of Elegies. The Flame Haze winced as the scent of strong booze hit his nostrils.

"Ugh..."

Marcosius guffawed.

"Hah! Quite the pad! Welcome to the Palace of Piss-Drunk Pleasures!"

The English teacher grinned, half in mischief and half in embarrassment, after which she promptly reached over and decked the gigantic book again.

"Shut it, stupid Marco. I know the place needs some tending to... which is partly why I invited the both of you here."

Keisaku blinked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Margery grinned.

"Well, here's what I'm suggesting. Since you don't have a place to stay, this house should be perfect, right? I've got an empty guest room on the ground floor, so you can use it to crash. In return, I'm not going to charge you any rent, but I would like you to help me by cleaning the place up whenever it gets too messy."

Keisaku looked about the front hall, and further up ahead, the living room. He shuddered as he noticed numerous piles of alcoholic beverage bottles scattered helter-skelter all over the floor. Marcosius laughed again.

"Hah! It seems the Lady of Liquor's firmly gotten her claws into you, my hapless hormonal hero, Keisaku Satou!"

Keisaku groaned as he turned to Margery.

"...Ergh... I should've just cut and run the moment you showed up."

However, the Flame Haze made no effort to leave. Instead, he quietly pulled an extra-large trash bag from out of the depths of the Grimoire's pages and began to pick up the refuse scattered all over the floor.

* * *

Marianne looked over the Crystal Altar and frowned.

"So... two Flame Hazes and the Corpse Collector herself. This isn't turning out well."

Friagne had a tone of anxiety in his voice.

"M-mistress... What's going to happen now?"

The Huntress smiled lovingly at her little doll.

"Well... it's a little earlier than I would've liked, but it seems that we'll have to simply go ahead with the ceremony now. And once we do so... eternity will be ours, and our dearest wish will be finally granted... So sing for me, my Treasure, my 'Dance Party'...!"

In her hand, a bell of glass began to ring...

* * *

"...So, that's what's about to happen, eh? Alastor, can we trust this statement?"

"If the information is truly coming from the Corpse Collector herself, then yes. But for the Huntress to plan on eradicating an entire city and convert it to Power of Existence..."

Yuji's eyes narrowed.

"The resulting imbalance would be catastrophic. We've got to find the Huntress and permanently deal with her."

Yuji then turned to Shana.

"When the time comes, Shana, you should find a safe place to stay until this is over."

Even as he started to quicken his pace, however, Shana dashed ahead of him and planted herself in front, blocking his way. Yuji blinked.

"...Shana?"

The young female Mystes trembled, but steeled herself to speak.

"Yuji... Why?"

"...Huh?"

Yuji blinked in some astonishment. Shana appeared as if she was barely holding herself back from the verge of tears.

"Why, Yuji? Why have you been staying away from me lately? Aren't you supposed to be some sort of perverted idiotic stalker? You're a Flame Haze, aren't you? You've been staying close to me all this time, in the name of some crazy 'duty' to the balance of this world... Then why have you been avoiding me lately?"

Yuji looked down at the ground beneath his feet. The Flame Haze didn't speak for a long moment. When he finally did open his mouth to speak, his voice was hoarse.

"...To be bluntly honest, I blamed you."

Shana's eyes widened.

"Yuji..."

The Flame Haze didn't pause in his words.

"I blamed you for my defeat at the hands of the Chanter of Elegies. I couldn't help but feel an ugly sense of anguish at the fact that had you not appeared at that moment, I might not have lost."

Yuji sharply looked Shana in the eye.

"And yet... I couldn't bear the idea that I could stoop so low as to blame someone else for my own responsibilities. So I latched onto the most convenient excuse instead. I convinced myself that by staying away, I was protecting you."

The Flame Haze smiled sadly.

"...I'm sorry, Shana."

Shana's eyes suddenly held a look of desperate pleading within them.

"You... Yuji, you IDIOT! Of course it was my fault! You didn't do anything wrong! I should've... I... You didn't do anything wrong! Never once!"

Yuji's expression turned grave.

"...Would you have kept saying that had you known that Alastor and I were seriously considering your destruction at one point?"

Shana turned silent, a look of shock in her eyes. Yuji looked away.

"...I didn't think so. Shana, I'm not as kind as I should be. I'm not as good as I wish I was. In truth... I'm just a Flame Haze. A slave to my own duty, my own mission, my-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UUUUP...!!"

Yuji halted in mid-sentence, taken aback by the vehemence of Shana's words. Shana's face was hidden by her hair, but her clenched hands trembled.

"Damn you, Yuji! Damn you! You're not 'just a Flame Haze'! You... even though I'm 'just a Mystes', a replacement pile of existential scum that will soon vanish, you saw me as a human being! You treated me like one!"

Shana looked up and locked gazes with the Flame Haze in front of her.

"So stop calling yourself 'just a Flame Haze'! You're Yuji Hirai! You're... you're a damned idiotic pervert stalker of a _human being!_ You're you! Nobody else!"

"Shana..."

"So stop avoiding me! Stop acting as if you need to stay away from me all the time! And if that doll-loving _bitch_ is really putting this city in danger, let me fight too!"

Shana pulled out her katana and swung it up in a flying arc to emphasize the last point.

"I may not be able to do much as you at the moment... But let me be more than just some 'Mystes' that needs to be protected like a stupid strongbox! I'm Shana! A human being that wants to fight to protect the things that are precious to her, and to prove her own existence, no matter how short it may be!"

Even as she finished speaking, however, a dome of dark crimson suddenly issued forth from the city's center, catching everyone's attention as it consumed the entire city in a shroud of shades of red. Alastor's voice broke in.

"...So, it appears that the Huntress has finally decided to act."

Shana turned back to Yuji, a note of pleading in her eyes.

"Yuji, please..."

The Flame Haze smiled as he slowly nodded.

"If that's the case, then..."

Shana nodded back and was turning in the direction of the Seal's center when...

**THWOP!**

With a motion of his hand that was quicker than the eye, the Flame Haze struck. There was a blurred strike to the back of Shana's neck. The female Mystes' eyes widened...

"Yu... ji..."

...and Shana collapsed to the street unconscious. Yuji slowly picked her up and propped her against a nearby utility pole.

"Sorry, Shana. Please forgive me."

Without wasting a further moment, Yuji quickly leaped onto a nearby rooftop as he began to dash off in the direction of the Seal's center. Alastor's voice broke in.

"Are you sure about this course of action? She seemed awfully determined to follow."

Yuji smiled sadly.

"This time, it really is for the best. She has the Midnight Lost Child, so she has a future to live. I don't want to see her lose that future, or that spirit of hers."

Alastor murmured contemplatively.

"Mmm."

* * *

The last of the trash had finally been cleared, and the entire house had been given a good dusting from top to bottom. With that finished, Keisaku finally sighed in relief and slumped onto the couch. Margery sat on a barstool and appraised the Flame Haze's housekeeping with an appreciative eye.

"Mmm... that's... not bad. You've certainly earned your keep, kid. I think that'll do it. Did somebody teach you how to do this?"

Marcosius laughed in uncontrolled mirth.

"Hah! All the better for my hormonally-unbalanced womanizer to hook a fine lady someday! Perhaps a tall blonde with glasses and fine assets 'up there'! Hahahahaha- Ooof!"

The Chanter of Elegies smirked as he watched Margery deck Marcosius with a clenched fist.

"I taught myself. In any case, now that those unpleasantries are finished, time to get to my real order of business..."

Flicking out a bookmark from the Grimoire, Keisaku traced a circle on the wooden floor with his finger, causing a purple grid of lines and squares to materialize within the boundary he'd drawn.

Margery blinked.

"A map? Just like that? That's pretty convenient..."

"It's not so much a map as it is a tracking spell. I'm using it to assist in my search for that Denizen bitch."

Margery wagged a finger.

"Language, language, kid."

Keisaku shrugged.

"Psh... I don't care. I haven't gone to school in... well, I've lost count by now."

After a moment or two of staring at the eldritch diagram, however, Keisaku sighed as he realized that no significant activity was showing up.

"Well, seems to be quiet for now. Geez... you'd think that somebody like that Denizen would kick up a fuss wherever she'd go... but noooo, she has to do things the boring way..."

Leaning back on the couch, Keisaku yawned and closed his eyes. Margery watched him for a moment before she turned to her bar and poured herself a drink. She then turned back in the direction of the Flame Haze, a question on her lips.

"Hey kid, want something to dr-"

Margery blinked again, as she found herself staring at a snoring Keisaku. Marcosius seemed to be giving his Flame Haze partner a contemplative glance before speaking with a resigned sigh.

"Well, that's the way this kid is. Pushes himself around like some sort of Japanese salaryman for days without rest, then finally hits the sack without warning. He's always had a tough time pacing himself."

Margery gave the sleeping form on her couch a long look, then downed her drink in a single gulp and walked over to a nearby closet. Pulling out an old blanket, she draped it over Keisaku's slumbering form before she gave him one last glance and whispered something inaudible as she headed up the stairs.

"...Good night."

* * *

It was a full five minutes before Shana finally came to. It took her a groggy moment to realize that she'd been left behind. Then, as her senses fully re-asserted themselves, she roundly, furiously cursed.

"...DAMN IT! YUJI, YOU IDIOT...!!"

Even as the last words left her mouth, Shana felt her eyes water up. Angrily wiping away the tears that threatened to spill, the young girl quickly ran off as fast as she could, intent upon catching up with an infuriating Flame Haze.

The two figures silently regarded each other across the small expanse of public playground. Yuji smiled as he saw the Denizen floating in the air in front of him, but the smile he gave held no warmth, unlike the ones he'd often given Shana.

"So, you're here. I must thank you... it saved me the trouble of looking everywhere for you."

The Huntress Marianne gave a similar smile as she offered reply, all the while caressing Friagne within the crook of her arm.

"My, how well-mannered. I never would have expected a Flame Haze to actually remember basic courtesies."

Yuji simply nodded, before raising a hand.

"The time for talk, however, is now over."

With a simple gesture, a pillar of scorching fire suddenly issued forth from the ground. Marianne simply floated in an effortless mid-air sidestep. Yuji gestured again, as several more pillars of fire erupted from the depths of the sandbox. The Huntress smirked.

"My, my, don't tell me that's ALL you can do..."

The Denizen suddenly lifted a hand, revealing a glass bell with its elegantly tapered handle nestled within her fingers. With a simple chime, several spheres of blue flame materialized and rocketed towards Yuji. The Flame Haze cartwheeled with a gigantic leap, carrying him over a nearby whirligig as he countered with a wave of his hand.

The pillars of fire that had been stationary up until now suddenly began to move, carving furrows into the dirt and sand of the playground as they began to whirl around the Huntress, closing in upon her in a deadly cyclone of fire.

Even as the flaming maelstrom closed in upon her, however, there was another tinkle of singing glass as the flames abruptly dissipated, giving way to a series of golden chains that shot forth and wrapped themselves around Yuji. Marianne laughed as she watched the Flame Haze vainly struggle to free himself from his bonds.

"Don't bother. My Treasure, 'Bubble Root', has chains that cannot be broken by mere force, nor can they be cut or sliced. So what are you going to do now, 'Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter'?"

However, there was no sign of distress upon the Flame Haze's countenance. Instead, Yuji simply smiled... before his form suddenly disintegrated into a collapsing pile of cinders. Marianne's eyes widened.

"What...!?"

Another pillar of flame suddenly rocketed upwards from directly underneath Marianne's position. The Huntress barely dodged the attack in time as the gout of flame faded away to reveal the Flame Haze standing within. Marianne scowled.

"So... a fake decoy made of flames. How clever."

Before Yuji could make any sort of reply or an additional assault, however, an all-too-familiar voice broke in.

"YUJI! YOU IDIOT!"

Yuji barely spared a glance from the corner of his eye. It was enough, however, to send a chill through his heart. Shana was racing towards them, her katana raised.

"Shana, I told you to stay out of this!"

The Huntress Marianne, however, smiled with glee upon seeing the rapidly-approaching Mystes.

"So, the flat-chested little kitten of a Mystes decided to come to _me_, it seems. How flattering."

Shana lunged towards the female Denizen, her katana swirling in a shining arc. Yuji, however, immediately saw the inherent danger as he raised a hand in an attempt to stop her.

"No, Shana! GET BACK...!!"

Too late. There was a chime from the bell of glass. Golden chains from Bubble Root burst forth from Marianne's outstretched fingers, wrapping themselves tightly around Shana and her weapon. Yuji quickly sprang forwards, his hand upraised to launch a volley of fire...

...but then froze as the Denizen yanked Shana in front of her to serve as an improvised shield. Marianne laughed as she watched the look of indecisive horror on Yuji's face.

"My, my... A Flame Haze, hesitating to attack a Denizen because of a mere _Mystes? _How precious. It looks like I win this round."

The bell of glass chimed again. Another volley of blue flames spattered the spot where Yuji stood, forcing him to take cover. As the Huntress began to float off with a captive Shana in tow, she laughed mockingly.

"If you wish to have any hope of regaining this little snippet of a Mystes, then come to me at the central intersection of this city. _I'll be waiting."_

Shana, still struggling against the chains that had her bound, had a look of intermingled desperation and regret.

"YUJI...!!"

In another moment, the Denizen and Mystes vanished in a swirl of blue fire. Yuji slumped to his knees and cursed.

"Damn it... SHANA...!!"

* * *

Keisaku had been roused from his slumbering by a flurry of strange readings coming from the tracker he'd traced into the floor of Margery's house. The Chanter of Elegies stared at the eldritch display as it continued to wildly react.

"Man... this is just great. As if trying to actually find the Corpse Collector wasn't bad enough, now that stupid Huntress is running amok with something across the entire city! There's Power of Existence being drawn up all over the place. I can't find that damned Corpse Collector as long as that doll-fetish pervert's going wild like this."

Marcosius laughed.

"Hah! 'Denizens Gone Wild'! It'd be great! Think of all the cash we'd be able to rake in!"

"What's all this ruckus about?! I thought you two were counting sheep..."

Margery slowly descended the stairs, clothed in a dressing gown. There was a drowsy look on her face as she came down the steps. Keisaku shot her an apologetic glance.

"Sorry, Ms. Margery. We've got a problem here. A pretty big problem."

He turned his gaze back to the display on the floor.

"Hmph... this isn't looking good at all."

Marcosius scooted up closer to the Chanter of Elegies and gave a conspiring whisper.

"Hey, hey... you want to crash that bitch's buffet?"

Keisaku grinned.

"...Sounds like fun."

* * *

Marianne looked out over the city, the glass bell in her hand tinkling and giving off chimes for all it was worth.

"Look, look, my darling Friagne. Soon, this entire city will become one gigantic mass of Power of Existence... enough for you to have an existence of your very own. Then... eternity will be ours."

"M-Mistress..."

Shana, still tightly bound up in the chains of Bubble Root, shot the Huntress a contemptuous glare.

"It won't happen. Yuji will come. And he'll stop you."

The Huntress stared down at Shana mockingly.

"My... Is that what you call him? 'Yuji'? What a strange nickname to give to a Flame Haze. After all, what would they know of the value of names such as that? Such pitiful existences Flame Hazes lead. All they know about is being tools for their Crimson Lords, pathetic tools only suited to destroying things. Look at me... I, on the other hand, will be _creating_ something. I will be creating an entire existence for my precious Friagne."

Shana gritted her teeth.

"That's wrong! Yuji... He's not simply a mindless killer!"

Marianne snorted with disdain.

"And what would a mere flat-chested Mystes, capable of disappearing at any moment, know?"

Shana looked down at her shoes, then back up at the Huntress.

"I know this much: It's true, I might disappear at any time. I'm a Torch and a Mystes, after all. But... that aggravating Flame Haze, Yuji, he chose to treat me like a human being from the very first moment we met. He would always be there to greet me at the start of every day... and he would always be there when we would part ways at the end of the day. He's been thinking of me and my welfare so much... So I know, even if I were to disappear, I'll always exist! Inside Yuji, _I'll always exist!"_

Shana smiled up confidently at Marianne as she continued.

"Creating an existence... what would a doll-loving fetish pervert like you know? My existence has already been created! It has already been proven! By Yuji and me! _We've already proven each other's existence!_"

The Denizen's face took on a twisted expression, marred by hatred and anger.

"You... you have no right to talk! How dare you talk to me that way, _Mystes!_"

Suddenly, another voice broke in upon the conversation.

"Don't call her a _Mystes!_ Her name... is _Shana!_"

Shana spun around, her eyes alight with fierce joy as the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter walked into the intersection.

"Yuji!"

The Flame Haze nodded in her direction as he then looked up at the Huntress floating up above.

"Enough games! Let's end it here!"

Marianne smirked.

"Agreed!"

As the Denizen rang the bell of glass once more, a volley of blue fire descended upon the Flame Haze and exploded in a brilliant eldritch display of pyrotechnics. However, Yuji was no longer there, having somersaulted away just moments before the azure flames had descended. Yuji countered with a gesture, as several bolts of crimson fire descended from the sky.

Marianne dodged all of them, and the bell of glass chimed once more. Yuji began to stare at the bell suspiciously.

_Why in the world is she ringing that bell? Wait... can it be...?_

"Alastor! Can you sense it?"

"Mmm! Now that you mention it... The entire city's flow seems to be gradually distorting! It's as if... No! This is...!"

Yuji quickly jumped into the air, firing several blasts of flame at the Hunter as he landed in the opposite direction. Marianne dodged again. Yuji then snapped his fingers, causing a huge pillar of flame to burst out of the ground below. This time, the fire struck home...

...only to vanish as the Huntress continued to float in mid-air, unscathed. Alastor called out to Yuji in warning as Marianne laughed again.

"That Treasure on her finger... it must be Azure, The Fire-Repelling Ring!"

The Huntress giggled.

"Indeed... and now do you see how closely you stare defeat in the face? There is no way for you to win... No way at all..."

Defiantly, Yuji raised a hand and fired off a blast of flame. The blast dissipated and broke off into a number of smaller firebolts that flew off in various directions as the attack made impact with the protective field generated by Azure. The Huntress sighed in mocking exasperation.

"You just don't learn, do you? Now, then..."

Reaching into the depths of her evening dress, Marianne pulled out an ornately-decorated handgun. The Huntress smiled at it fondly and idly fingered the trigger.

"It would be so fitting, wouldn't it? My ultimate weapon, the 'Trigger Happy'. A perfectly ironic way to destroy you. Six shots, fueled by Power of Existence. 'Death by Existence'. Now then, I should-"

**SHHHHTHUNK!**

There was a scream from Friagne.

"M-Mistress...!!!"

Eyes wide in sudden, agonizingly painful shock, the Huntress slowly looked down at the dissipating ball of flame that had once been the Rinne doll Friagne, and the katana blade that was now sticking out of her stomach. The razor-sharp edge had also sliced through the Denizen's fingers, sending Azure flying as the Denizen's dismembered fingers flew off in various directions. Marianne, her eyes wide in disbelief, looked over her shoulder at the female Mystes that stood behind her, both hands tightly gripping the hilt of the Nietono no Shana.

Shana had pierced straight through Marianne and Friagne simultaneously in a single thrust, and had effectively incapacitated Azure's effects for good measure as well.

The Huntress looked back down at Yuji.

"H-how...!?"

The Flame Haze just smiled.

"I wasn't aiming for you. My flames were aiming for Bubble Root's chains that were holding Shana captive. You've been so focused on fighting and killing Flame Hazes all this time... that you had no real innate defense ready to deal with a simple, albeit well-crafted katana once Bubble Root was out of the picture."

Marianne's face was twisted with pain and rage.

"No... NOOO!!! I CAN'T... I WON'T... I WON'T BE ROBBED OF OUR ETERNITY!! FRIAAAAGNE...!!"

Without warning, the Huntress reached backwards with the crook of her arm, grabbing up Shana by the neck in a brutal headlock. Shana gasped in shocked surprise as she struggled to fight free of the Denizen's elbow.

"Ahh...!!"

"Shana...!"

Yuji took an instinctive step forwards, but halted dead in his tracks as Marianne brought up the Trigger Happy and levelled the Treasure gun in the Flame Haze's direction.

"You... you blasted Flame Haze, you've taken everything from me... My precious Friagne, our eternity together... The only thing I can think of now is to take the both of you with me! First, I'll start with this little Mystes...!"

Suddenly, Shana began to scream painfully as the Huntress began to leech a massive quantity of Power of Existence from her and focused it into the Trigger Happy.

"Aaaaaaaaagh...!!"

Just as Shana was about to fade, however, the Huntress stopped and turned to her.

"Not yet. I'm not going to let you disappear just yet. Not until you've seen your precious Flame Haze die right in front of you...!!"

Even as she cocked the hammer and started to pull the trigger, however, a bolt of purple flame rocketed out of nowhere, blasting off the hand that held Trigger Happy. Marianne screamed once again in agonizing pain.

"GAAAGH! WHAT IN THE...!?"

Up above, the Chanter of Elegies, laughed as he rode in on Grimoire.

"Seriously... I hate corny battles that drag on like this. Isn't that right, Marcosius?"

The Crimson Lord that resided within the Grimoire laughed maniacally.

"Hahahahaw! Only too true, my berserk battle brawler, Keisaku Satou...!!"

The Huntress spat angrily as she looked about herself in powerless fury.

"No! CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU FLAME HAZES! BOTH OF YOU! AND THAT FLAT-CHESTED-"

**SHHHHINK!**

Shana, using the last of her strength, had shifted her weight on the hilt of her katana and had swung upwards in a shining vertical arc, cleaving the upper torso of the Huntress in two.

"Don't... call me... _flat-chested...!!"_

Even as Marianne's body fell apart into a crumbling mass of blue fire, a final thought crossed her mind.

_Friagne... I... We... Our eternity..._

The blue flames faded out and crumbled away into nothingness. The Huntress Marianne was gone.

It was over.

* * *

Yuji sat next to Shana, who was lying on the pavement of the intersection. Her right hand still clutched her katana. Most of her form was already starting to fade away.

"...So, I guess this is it, huh, Yuji?"

The Flame Haze smiled sadly.

"At this stage... probably so. That Denizen took a lot out of you."

"...I see. Still... I'm glad I got to meet an idiotic pervert stalker like you."

"Same here."

"Did I do okay?"

Yuji was vehement in his reply.

"Of course! You did great! We wouldn't have stopped Marianne if it weren't for you..."

Shana smiled faintly.

"I'm glad. Also, Yuji...?"

"Hmm?"

"You'll remember me, right? Even when I'm long gone?"

Yuji nodded.

"I will."

"Mmm. Thanks. Goodbye..."

The last of her form crumbled into glittering fragments of azure flame as they began to float upwards into the starry sky.

"Shana..."

And then... the bells of a nearby clocktower began to toll.

Even as the toll of the bells rang out, Shana suddenly blinked, her form abruptly restored to full normalcy as her dissipating flame roared back to life, blazing brightly anew. The female Mystes quickly sat up, staring at her hands and the rest of her body in astonishment.

"Huh!? But... HOW!? I thought... I thought I was going to..."

Yuji smiled, this time with such warmth that Shana blushed.

"I'd say that clinches it."

Alastor spoke up as well.

"Indeed. Truly, it is the 'Midnight Lost Child'."

Shana looked from Yuji to Alastor's Cocytus in dumbfounded puzzlement.

"Eh? The 'Midnight Lost Child'?"

Yuji pointed to Shana's chest, still smiling.

"It's the Treasure that you're holding inside you. At precisely the stroke of midnight, whatever Power of Existence you've expended during the day is completely restored."

Shana blinked, her mouth ajar, not daring to believe what her ears were hearing.

"Y-you mean..."

Yuji nodded. The warm smile was still there on his face.

"That's right. It means you still have a future to look forward to!"

Shana looked down at the flame of azure that burned brightly within her in wonderment.

"A... future. I still have a future... Hey, wait a minute!"

A furious look suddenly sprang up on Shana's face as her cheeks blushed crimson. Yuji blinked in puzzlement.

"Huh?"

"You sounded like you already knew I had such a thing inside me! Why didn't you tell me!?"

Yuji frantically waved his arms in desperate gesticulation, attempting to placate the now-angry Mystes.

"H-hey, Alastor and I weren't exactly sure ourselves! Besides, we-"

"That's no excuse! You should've told me! If I had known that I wouldn't just up and disappear, I wouldn't have said such embarrassing things to that stupid Denizen-"

"B-but didn't everything turn out fine in the end...?"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Keisaku's voice suddenly interrupted them as the Chanter of Elegies swooped in to join them.

"My, my, my... what an endearing little scene. Stop it, the both of you are going to make me have the heaves."

Yuji looked up at Keisaku with a strange half-smile on his face.

"I... suppose I should be thanking you."

The Chanter of Elegies dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"Don't bother. Besides, we didn't really do it to help you. We just did it because that damned Huntress was interfering with our search for the Corpse Collector."

Yuji nodded as he gave reply of his own.

"Regardless... Thank you. But we _will_ be settling accounts for our previous battle soon. You can count on that."

Keisaku grinned wolfishly.

"And I'll be looking forward to it. Don't disappoint me, kid."

And with that, the Chanter of Elegies sped off. Yuji looked over to Shana and smiled.

"So... shall we go home?"

Shana blushed and quickly looked away.

"S-sure."

Even as she started off, however, Yuji halted her in mid-stride.

"...Shana."

"Hmm?"

"Next time something comes up... want to come along?"

Shana seemed to contemplate upon it for a second... then quickly stuck her tongue out at Yuji and raced off as she yelled back her reply.

"...I'll think about it!"

Yuji quickly ran after her.

"H-hey, Shana! Wait up for me!"

Even though she didn't dare let the young Flame Haze see, there was an exuberantly happy smile on Shana's face as she raced off for home.

* * *

_So, Misaki's safe for now. That doll-loving Denizen Huntress Marianne been put on ice and that idiot pervert stalker Yuji is finally hanging around me again. And... I now have a future to look forward to. Everything... is back to the way it should be. Simply in chaos._

_I wouldn't have it any other way._

_The only problem now left is: What to do about that stupid book-riding battle-freak?_

_

* * *

_

"Well, I must say... this is the longest chapter you've done yet."

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"Wasn't that bad. Everything seemed to flow pretty well. Friagne kinda died uselessly this time around, though."

"Hmm. Now you'll just have to handle the next fight between Yuji and Keisaku."

The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he reached for a nearby carton of guava juice and took a hasty swig.

"...Don't remind me."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	7. Chapter 747: Two and a Half Flame Hazes

**CapoExecutor: **Yeah, it'll definitely be interesting to see how Keisaku's version of the Chanter of Elegies' past will differ from Margery's. And yes, Kazumi will most likely be the Supreme Throne. Going to be funny to see how that plays out.

**HeroGuardian: **Aye. Kinda funny how I turned Friagne into a footnote though. I sometimes wish I'd given him more lines and actions.

**JohnPeacekeeper: **Yes, Yuji will have Blutsauger eventually. Fun times will be had.

**yumichan808: **Still not sure exactly how to fit Bel Peol into the situation yet. Other students? Well... hard to say. Khamsin is one, so are Sorath and Tiriel, but those incesting twins are always... awkward to write about. Yuji's eventually going to do more than just throw fire, but at the moment, yes, he just manipulates flames.

**ColinatorGX: **Thanks. I'm still not exactly sure how Sabrac's going to fit into the picture. Maybe he'll take the place of the original Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter. Wouldn't be too big of a stretch, seeing as how he has his Rose Madder Flame. Haha. Bal Masque... That's another tricky one. Oh well... There's still quite a few chapters to go before Bal Masque shows up, so maybe I'll figure it out by then.

* * *

"Ah, so now that the situation with that doll-loving Denizen and brown-nosing Rinne are out of the way, we're going to be taking a gander with that bloodthirsty Chanter of Elegies, no?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories nodded.

"That's right."

"...I wonder, will this version of the Chanter of Elegies still be a boozer?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories shook his head.

"No. That quality's still stuck with Margery Daw."

"A pity. I would've loved to see Keisaku nursing a raging... hangover."

The Writer of Questionable Stories gave a sidelong glance.

"I swear, you were about to say 'hard-on'."

There was a long moment of silence before the reply came back.

"...Who knows?"

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 747: The Two And A Half Flame Hazes**

* * *

_So... Everything's back to normal, for the moment. Yuji and I are going to classes as usual. He's stalking me again.. but for some reason, I don't feel like complaining about it as much as I used to. Maybe I'm getting soft._

_Only problem left to deal with now is that ridiculous battle-freak. Yuji calls him "The Chanter of Elegies". I'd much rather call him "The Blatherer of Nonsense"._

* * *

"Well, here's where we part, as usual. See you tomorrow, Shana."

Shana nodded as she began to head towards the stairs leading up to her apartment... but was stopped in her tracks by a voice she hadn't been expecting to hear.

"Truly, this is strange. You brought a boyfriend home with you?"

Shana turned bright red as she quickly spun around. Wilhelmina was standing nearby, hefting a massive backpack which was packed with groceries. Shana quickly gave denial.

"N-no! No! He's not a boyfriend! He's a classmate!!"

Yuji blinked.

"What's a 'boyfriend'?"

Wilhelmina looked over at Yuji.

"Truly, this is an odd boyfriend you have, for him not to know what a boyfriend even is."

Shana's face looked like a halting traffic signal.

"I TOLD you, Wilhelmina, HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! HE'S JUST A CLASSMATE! CLAAASSMAAATE!"

Wilhelmina just gave Shana a small smile as she nodded.

"Truly, if it makes you more comfortable to think of him simply as a fellow classmate, then I will not press the issue."

She then turned back to Yuji.

"Truly, I suggest that you do nothing inappropriate to her or give her cause to feel hurt... or else..."

From out of nowhere, Wilhelmina produced a razor-sharp kitchen knife and pointedly began to test the edge with a finger. Yuji gulped.

"I... I understand... But I still don't know what a boyfriend is."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP...!!"

* * *

The next day, during lunch, Shana popped a question to Yuji through a mouthful of melon bread as they sat together on the school rooftop.

"H-hey, Yuji..."

Yuji blinked at her through a mouthful of riceball before he swallowed it down with a gulp.

"Hmm?"

"Why is this 'Chanter of Elegies' guy so intent upon finding and killing Leanan-sidhe, even though she's not a threat to humans or to the balance between the two worlds?"

Before Yuji could speak, Alastor gave answer.

"The Chanter of Elegies, Keisaku Satou, is well-known throughout the Crimson Realm as the most bloodthirsty of all Flame Haze. His contractor, Marcosius, the Claw and Fangs of Violation, is similarly regarded in kind as the most bloodthirsty of all Crimson Lords. But then again, just about every Flame Haze hates Crimson Denizens."

Shana blinked as she gulped down a mouthful of crisp cookie crust.

"Why?"

This time, Yuji answered.

"Most Flame Hazes are created from human beings who have suffered loss or terrible trauma through the actions of Crimson Denizens. If their hatred and desire for revenge against Denizens is strong enough, a contract with a Crimson Lord usually results."

Alastor continued.

"Indeed, most of them are like this. My Flame Haze, the one whom you call Yuji, however, is a rare exception."

"Meaning...?"

Yuji scratched the back of his head as he answered Shana's question.

"I have no hatred towards Denizens. Our contract wasn't even created through the usual circumstances."

Shana had a contemplative look on her face.

"...What sort of circumstances were they?"

Yuji simply gave her an enigmatic smile before answering.

"One of these days, I'll tell you. I promise."

Shana pouted through another mouthful of melon bread.

"Hmph... idiot."

* * *

For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Keisaku made another pass over the city intersection. Once again, he tapped a finger to his ear and spoke.

"Ms. Margery, are you getting anything on that Denizen?"

Half a city away, Margery shook her head as she held the bookmark up to her ear like a cellphone.

"Nothing. It's as if she's completely vanished."

Marcosius sighed.

"Now, now, my raging battle beast, Keisaku Satou, don't fret so much. We did manage to Seal off the entire city while that Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed boy was fighting the Huntress. Eventually, we'll find her again."

Keisaku's voice rose as his temper mounted.

"If you keep talking about things like 'eventually', that damned Corpse Collector's going to get away... AGAIN!"

The English teacher winced as Keisaku's voice loudly came back through the bookmark like a deafening foghorn.

"DAMN IT...!! STUPID DENIZEN!"

* * *

Another afternoon. Once again, the two reached the apartment complex where Shana lived. Once again, Yuji nodded as he turned to leave.

"Well, see you tomor-"

"Wait."

Yuji looked back over his shoulder, blinking at Shana as she spoke.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

Shana fidgeted and blushed slightly under Yuji's gaze before speaking further.

"I... Would you like to come inside? D-don't misunderstand! It's just... Wilhelmina mentioned last night that she wanted to get to know you better."

Yuji slowly nodded, his face showing obvious bewilderment as he did so.

"Well, erm... sure..."

* * *

Keisaku grumbled and muttered under his breath as he stared up at the living room ceiling from the couch he was currently occupying.

"We've been following this damned Denizen bitch for three months already, and she still manages to elude us at every opportunity!"

Margery laughed humorlessly as she poured herself another drink from her bar and downed it in a single gulp.

"What are you getting so worked up about anyways? There's no point in pitching a fit about a woman who's playing hard-to-get..."

Her voice then lowered as she continued under her breath.

"...Or a guy, for that matter..."

Keisaku shot Margery a scowling glare.

"And what would you know about playing 'hard-to-get', anyway? I bet a ton of guys are just throwing themselves at your feet. You have the looks and the personality for it, I'm sure."

Margery said nothing, but simply gave Keisaku a long, long look. The Chanter of Elegies fidgeted under her stare.

"W-what? Was it something I said?"

Margery shook her head as she turned her attention back to her drinking. Marcosius laughed.

"Hohohoho! Maybe, just maybe, that lovely lady is starting to fall for you, eh, my leading ladykiller, Keisaku Satou- Ooof!"

Marcosius howled in pain as a shot glass rebounded off the cover of the Grimoire. Margery had a distinctly annoyed yet utterly smashed look on her face as she gulped down another drink.

"Shut up, stupid Marco!"

Keisaku snorted as he turned his face away from the scene.

"Hmph. I've had enough of this. I'm going to sleep."

* * *

"Truly, you must be Yuji Hirai, yes?"

Wilhelmina took a sip of tea as she threw the question. Yuji nodded and smiled brightly as he took a sip from his own cup. Both of them were sitting at the apartment's kitchen table.

"Yes, Wilhelmina-san. You are Shana's guardian, right? Shana talks a lot about you."

Wilhelmina set her cup down as she looked Yuji in the eye.

"Truly, that is interesting. Shana speaks a lot of you here."

Yuji blushed slightly at that remark, but smiled again as he nodded.

"Is that right? I'm... sort of glad."

Wilhelmina was silent for a long moment before she continued.

"Truly, in a way, I must... thank you."

The young Flame Haze blinked as he looked up from his tea.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Truly, Shana has been much more cheerful and relaxed recently. She smiles a lot more at home, and she seems to be far more motivated than before. Truly, I can't help but suspect that your recent arrival in her life seems to have contributed to that change."

Yuji took a long, contemplative glance out the window of the apartment.

"Is... that so?"

Suddenly, Shana walked out into the kitchen, a towel loosely draped over her hair.

"Wilhelmina, I'm done with my bath."

Wilhelmina nodded as Shana walked over and sat next to Yuji. Suddenly, as if something had just come to mind, she looked up at Yuji and gave him a hard look. Yuji couldn't help but flinch.

"Eh? W-what's the matter...?"

"...You... you haven't taken a bath lately, have you?"

"I don't really think I need to-"

Shana ignored Yuji's stammerings and turned to Wilhelmina.

"Wilhelmina, could you help Yuji and fill up the bath for him? I think he needs one."

Wilhelmina simply nodded and grabbed Yuji by the scruff of his gakuran collar as she began to drag him in the direction of the bathroom. The young Flame Haze had a distinctly panicked look on his face as he attempted to claw at the floor in an effort to slow down Wilhelmina's relentless directive.

He then desperately turned to Shana.

"S-Shana! SAVE ME...!!"

Shana simply responded by sticking her tongue out at him as she then turned her attention back to her tea.

Realizing that no-one would come to his rescue, Yuji screamed like a lost soul as the bathroom door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

After what seemed like the fifth glass of industrial-strength bourbon, Margery Daw was on the verge of keeling over and passing out. Marcosius laughed as she unsteadily swerved on her barstool.

"Bwahahahaha! You truly are a paragon of punch-drunkeness! All that booze on your breath, it makes me want to-"

Even in her inebriated state, there was enough force behind Margery's left jab to send Marcosius flying over the sofa where Keisaku continued to sleep, uncaring of what was going on around him.

"Shut up, stupid Marco. Honestly, how that trenchcoated kid puts up with you so calmly is beyond me..."

"Hah! He didn't always, at the beginning. A few hundred years tends to work out all the kinks though."

Margery's eyes widened momentarily.

"F-few hundred...!? Oh, that's right... You Flame Haze types are all immortal. Must be nice, not having to age at all..."

Marcosius suddenly went quiet.

"...Not exactly."

Margery raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

The massive book chuckled as Marcosius floated over to the bar.

"Memories, lady, memories. When you don't age like a human being, everything in your head tends to sit around and never go away. That includes memories. Both the good _and_ the bad."

Margery looked over to Keisaku, still sound asleep and dead to the world. Marcosius chuckled again as he recognized the look in her eyes.

"Heh. You're curious about his past, eh? Hey, want to see a little of what he's got in his head?"

Before Margery could say yes or no, a flash of light sparked into her brain...

* * *

_Blood was everywhere. Everything that was not drenched in blood was aflame in silver fire. A hand... Keisaku's hand, was ripped from finger to wrist._

_Looming over the scene was a woman with long silver hair, dressed in shining silver plate armor that was marred by spatters of blood and gore. A massive two-handed sword, its blade similarly stained with blood, rested in her right hand._

_Her eyes glowed red, like two hot coals that had been yanked straight from the heart of Hell itself..._

_

* * *

_

Margery gave a start as the memory abruptly flashed away. Before she could say a word, however, Marcosius spoke quietly.

"Aye, that's enough of a peek for now. Suffice it to say, I think you can understand a little better why my sleeping battle-beast likes to kill Denizens so much."

Margery slowly nodded as her gaze returned to Keisaku's sleeping form. After a long moment, she spoke.

"...That 'Silver' person... was she a Denizen?"

The Claw and Fangs of Violation grunted in affirmation.

"Uh-huh."

Margery looked back over to the floating Grimoire.

"Did he ever get his revenge on her?"

"Nah. We've tracked and chased that Denizen from one corner of this world to the other, but we've so far had no success. What makes it worse is that Denizens like to change their appearances periodically. Denizens are inveterate fashionistas, I guess. Doesn't matter though. We live forever. One of these days, we'll find her and rend her to shreds! Hahahahaw- OOF!"

Marcosius was suddenly silenced as a heavy fist slammed him down onto the counter of the bar. Margery blinked in some surprise as a fully-awake Keisaku glared down at the Grimoire.

"...Hey, Marcosius... don't you think you've been telling her a little too much?"

The tone in the Claw and Fangs of Violation's reply was wheedling.

"Don't be like that, my short-tempered teenage brawler, Keisaku Satou! Besides, I think she's entitled to a little knowledge, seeing as how she's so generously provided for our room and board..."

Keisaku snorted.

"Hmph. Whatever. I'm going back to bed. I don't want you saying anything more tonight, Marcosius."

With a final grumble, the Chanter of Elegies scratched at his hair and yawned. However, instead of heading back to the sofa, he walked in the direction of the guest room. Margery, her inebriation long-gone from the memory Marcosius had thrown into her brain, shook her head as she headed towards the stairs that led up to her own room.

"Time I stopped drinking... Then again, who am I kidding?"

* * *

Shana sat in her bedroom, flipping through a book. Nearby, Alastor's Cocytus lay on her desk, glowing faintly.

"H-hey, Alastor?"

"Hmm?"

"I was just wondering about something... Yuji mentioned to me a few days ago that you did not wish to see harm come to Leanan-sidhe. Also, back when I first met Leanan-sidhe at the art exposition, she mentioned that she knew you. Are you two... friends?"

Alastor was quiet for a moment.

"Not so much friends as... acquaintances. And my desire to protect her is due to more than just a mere acquaintance between the two of us. As Leanan-sidhe has probably already explained to you, she collects Power of Existence from Torches that are on the verge of disappearance."

"That's right. She told me that she was doing it to fulfill some sort of wish that she had."

"Indeed. In fact, she has been doing this for centuries."

"...Centuries?"

"Flame Hazes, Crimson Lords, and Denizens age in a very different manner from normal humans. This rule also applies to Torches and Mystes. For all of us, the only requisite for our continued survival and existence is... well, Power of Existence. Thus, as long as there is a constant source of Power of Existence, we can essentially live forever. This includes you as well. As long as you continue to hold the Midnight Lost Child within you, it is possible to live forever."

Shana's eyes widened as she found herself slightly taken aback at the sudden idea of eternal life, after having spent months worrying in the back of her mind in regards to her disappearance. Shaking her head in mild wonderment, Shana returned her attention to the original topic at hand.

"So... if Leanan-sidhe has been collecting Power of Existence for so long... that means that she has accumulated a considerable amount of it."

"Correct. Although Leanan-sidhe has kept all of it contained through her own Unrestricted Method, consider what would happen if she were to be destroyed."

"There... would be no one to keep it in check?"

"Exactly. If Leanan-sidhe were to meet her demise, all of that captured Power of Existence would spill out in a massive surge. The effects from such a huge release of uncontrolled Power of Existence would not be unlike that of a human bomb."

Alastor's voice fell into a grim whisper.

"That is why, in fact, why the Chanter of Elegies should... no, _must _not be allowed to reach the Corpse Collector."

Shana nodded gravely.

"Understood. I'll do the best I can alongside Yuji."

"Normally, in a situation like this, I'd say something like 'Just try not to get in our way', but you have already proven yourself to be more than capable enough."

Suddenly, a scream came from the bathroom as Yuji scrambled out the bathroom door, naked as the day he was born. Shana and Alastor watched in mute astonishment as he attempted to get clear of the doorway, only to be tripped up by a whipping towel that suddenly wrapped around his leg and sent him sprawling.

Whimpering, Yuji clawed at the floor as Wilhelmina dragged him back inside with the towel that was wrapped around his ankle.

"Truly, resistance is futile. You _will_ be bathed."

* * *

Keisaku groaned as the curtains in the guest room were suddenly yanked back without warning, causing direct sunlight to assault his eyes. Margery stepped back from the window as she rubbed at her head.

"Urgh... rise and shine, kid. You're not looking much better, even though you don't drink... Geez, this hangover's the pits..."

The Chanter of Elegies hid his head under the blanket in an attempt to evade the harsh reality of the new day.

"Just a few more minutes, Ms. Margery... And why are you bothering with me? Don't you have classes today?"

"Are you kidding? It's the weekend, buddy. Now get up... I have some shopping to do, and you're going to help me carry stuff."

Marcosius, who was floating above a nearby chair, guffawed.

"Hahahahahaw! It appears that this lovely lady of luxuries can't leave you alone, my charming cargo carrier, Keisaku Satou!"

Keisaku grumbled as he tried to hide deeper within his blanket.

"Forget it. Besides, I still need to go after that Corpse Collector..."

Margery smirked.

"Look, let's cut a deal, then. The shops I'm headed to are located close to where that 'final battle' you mentioned took place. Now, I'm not exactly an expert, but wouldn't someone like her located her base of operations, or lair, at the center of whatever she was trying to pull?"

His drowsiness suddenly gone, Keisaku abruptly stood up.

"That's true... And if that location was truly her lair... She might have left something of use behind. So why are you even telling me this?"

Margery smirked as she metaphorically reeled in the the catch.

"Help me out with bringing in the shopping, and I'll help you in looking for that 'something useful' that might help in catching your Denizen."

Keisaku gave her a doubtful lift of the eyebrow, but simply nodded.

* * *

Three hours had passed. Margery walked out of the clothing store, humming contentedly as Keisaku followed afterwards. The hapless Chanter of Elegies staggered out the door, almost crushed under a mountain of boxes, bags, and parcels. Marcosius looked him over from his dangling strap and whistled sympathetically.

"Maaaan... my overworked teenage battle-beast, you've got it rough."

Keisaku grumbled and grunted as he struggled to juggle an armful of shoes and three bags of outfits.

"If... if you have time to be making pithy observations, Marcosius, why don't you help out here? Seriously?"

"Hahaha! And risk damaging my Grimoire's binding? Nothing doing!"

The Chanter of Elegies was about to shoot back a scathing retort when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and tongue. Margery, noticing the lack of struggling movements or barbed wisecracks, turned over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, kid, what's the matter..."

Without warning, Keisaku dropped all of his burdens into a jumbled heap and looked up at the office building they were standing in front of. Margery cursed as she attempted to sort out the mess that the Chanter of Elegies had inadvertently created.

"...H-hey, watch it! Those new high heels cost me a bundle! Hey! Are you listening!?"

Looking up from her pile of purchases, Margery blinked as she realized that her Flame Haze packmule had suddenly vanished.

* * *

"Well, well, well... isn't this interesting?"

Marcosius chuckled as they looked over the Crystal Altar.

"Hah! Leave it to the Huntress to be such a Treasure-otaku. But this... this is quite something, all right!"

Keisaku nodded.

"With this Treasure, finding that aggravating Corpse Collector won't be so difficult, as long as those Seals around the city still hold."

"H-hey... What the heck are you doing!? Chasing UFOs!?"

Gasping and panting for breath, Margery ascended the final set of stairs. She blinked as she caught sight of the Crystal Altar. She muttered under her breath as she shook her head.

"Well... it definitely beats GPS any day... So what does it do?"

The Chanter of Elegies looked the Crystal Altar over again.

"It's a Treasure of the Crimson Realm... the 'Crystal Altar'. It can track a large target area, such as Misaki City here, and monitor the movements and positions of Torches and humans within. In short, it's the perfect hunting radar for a Denizen."

Margery blinked as a memory from last night came to her unbidden.

"...Can it be used to track Denizens? Say, your 'Silver' character, for instance?"

The Chanter of Elegies scowled.

"Unfortunately, no. Just Torches and humans."

Keisaku's scowl abruptly changed into a grin as he reached into the Grimoire and pulled out another bookmark. Placing it without warning in Margery's hands, he quickly turned and sprang out a nearby window as he leaped onto Marcosius in mid-jump.

Margery yelled after the receding Keisaku in protest.

"H-hey! What gives!?"

"Sorry, Ms. Margery, but I'm going to need your assistance on this one. Keep your eyes on that gigantic display down at your feet please. I'm about to run a search."

* * *

Yuji paused in mid-walk and turned, looking up at an indistinct location in the sky. After a brief moment, he spoke.

"Alastor, can you sense it?"

"Mmm. It's the Chanter of Elegies, all right. He's running a wide-area Unrestricted Method. He's looking for the Corpse Collector."

Shana, who had been walking alongside Yuji, spoke up.

"Hey, should we really be standing around here, then? Shouldn't we go and stop him from reaching Leanan-sidhe?"

"That is exactly what we're about to do. But it would be far more efficient to handle the matter in this fashion, instead of just simply going out and offering battle to the Chanter of Elegies."

The female Mystes blinked.

"Why?"

Yuji frowned as the magic circle of the searching Unrestricted Method passed them by.

"...The Corpse Collector doesn't move around like a normal Denizen. In fact, while she is gathering dying Torches, she hardly moves at all."

Shana blinked as the rebounding force of the probing Unrestricted Method passed through her like a shockwave.

"...! I felt it! She's nearby! Leanan-sidhe's around here!"

* * *

"Well? Did you see her?"

Margery's voice came back, hesitant and slightly confused.

"That's strange..."

Keisaku frowned.

"What is?"

"I thought I her moving on the grid when you used that Unrestricted Method a moment ago... but then she just... disappeared. Vanished."

The Chanter of Elegies blinked.

"Huh? Never mind, then. I'm going to cast the Unrestricted Method one more time. Keep your eyes peeled!"

* * *

"Well, what are we waiting for then! Let's go!"

Before Shana could move, however, Yuji restrained her with a hand on her shoulder. The young Mystes looked up in some surprise.

"Why are you stopping me, Yuji!? Shouldn't we go and protect her!?"

Yuji's eyes narrowed.

"Because that's not the Corpse Collector."

Shana blinked again in mild bewilderment.

"What... what do you mean?"

"Think about it. Is she there right now?"

Shana's eyes widened as realization sprang to her mind.

"She... she disappeared!"

At that moment, another wave of spell-lines hit. Alastor's voice broke in.

"The Chanter of Elegies is casting his Unrestricted Method again."

Shana blinked in astonishment as the bouncing search pattern coursed through her.

"Wait... She's all the way on the opposite side of the city now!? How can she move that fast!?"

Yuji answered.

"Because as I mentioned before... she's not moving at all. If she really could move that fast, there would be no reason for her to simply stick around in Misaki, waiting for the Chanter of Elegies to get to her. Those Corpse Collectors we're finding through the Chanter of Elegies' Unrestricted Method... they're all just decoys."

Alastor murmured in affirmation.

"Indeed. If we're to properly protect the Corpse Collector, we need to find the real one. The question is... where the real one _is_..."

Something suddenly sprang to Shana's mind.

"Wait... I think I might know where the real one is, then."

Yuji blinked.

"You do?"

Shana nodded.

"Yeah... Remember that time when I was at that art exhibition?"

"What about it?"

"I met Leanan-sidhe there for the first time. We had a long talk."

"About what?"

Shana abruptly turned red as a recollected sentence sprang up in her brain.

_"I... don't understand Yuji. I don't understand him at all. It's not a question, really, but... I can't stand him! And yet at the same time, I can't stand it when he's not there..."_

Still crimson-faced, Shana shook her head to clear her mind.

"N-nothing! It's nothing!"

"But I-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP! Anyways, we have to find her! She's at the art exhibition!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I can't be completely sure, idiot! But... I just have this feeling..."

Yuji nodded.

"All right. In any case, it's as good a suggestion as any. We'll have to fly to get there in time, though. Hold onto me!"

Shana's face turned even redder.

"W-what!? Don't play games with me, you-"

Her words were abruptly stopped shut as Yuji simply spoke two words, laced with a hint of pleading.

"Shana... please."

Shana, still blushing it up like a ripe tomato, hesitantly approached Yuji from the front and embraced his waist, burying her face in the front of his gakuran.

Yuji responded by embracing her shoulders as he braced his legs for the coming jump. Still crimson-faced, Shana felt rather thankful that the young Flame Haze couldn't see her expression.

_Yuji... His... this is his scent... Soap from his bath last night... Wait, why am I even thinking about this!?_

Feeling irritated, Shana let it show in her words.

"...Hurry it up, idiot!"

Yuji just smiled.

"Alright, alright..."

And then came the leap. Shana felt her stomach drop as the two of them suddenly flew into the air. Along with the sudden rush of adrenaline came a feeling of absolute euphoria. Shana's head spun as her grip on Yuji tightened.

_I... As long as Yuji's with me... I can...!!_

* * *

Keisaku grumbled as he dropped his hand, letting the Unrestricted Method phase out quietly. He turned his attention back to Margery through the bookmark.

"Ms. Margery, still nothing?"

"I'm not getting anything. It's completely gone. She's vanished. Whoever she is... I wish I could get across the city like that. Beats taking the bullet train any day... Hmm?"

Something on the Crystal Altar suddenly caught Margery's eye. Frowning, the English teacher brought the bookmark back up to her ear.

"Hey, Keisaku... You mentioned before that this 'Crystal Altar' doodad only shows Torches and humans, right?"

"That's right."

"I'm seeing something else here as well, though."

"What is it?"

"...Birds. A lot of them."

Marcosius laughed.

"Hmhmhm... So it looks like the Huntress also had a thing for birds!"

"Don't be stupid, Marco. The birds showing up on this 'Crystal Altar' can't be ALL the birds in Misaki City. There's not enough. Also... they all look the same."

Suddenly, realization came to the Chanter of Elegies.

"Wait, Ms. Margery... the birds... where are they?"

"Well... Huh, this is odd... they're all flying from spots where we'd seen your lady Denizen friend just a few moments ago."

Keisaku grinned a wolfish, hungry grin.

"...And where are they headed to? Are they converging on a specific spot?"

"Huh, yeah, it seems like they are. Looks like that hall where they're currently holding that new art exhibition. Funny. So that means..."

Keisaku suddenly cleared his throat.

"Ms. Margery."

Margery blinked, as if picking up something new in the Chanter of Elegies' voice.

"W-what is it?"

"Since I'm not sure whether I'll have an opportunity to say it later, I'll say it now. Goodbye, Ms. Margery. It's been fun."

Margery's eyes widened.

"H-huh!? Wait a second... You're just up and leaving like that?"

"Of course. I'm a Flame Haze, Ms. Margery. Once we find our prey, we leave and look for more. It's not that we have anything against you... it's just our nature. You've come into indirect contact with a Denizen already. Most humans don't run into more than one Flame Haze during their lives, so you should be fine. Stay out of trouble, all right?"

Marcosius bluntly put in his two cents' worth.

"Don't booze and fornicate too much! Live a life without troubles! Hahahahahaw...!!"

Margery angrily yelled through the bookmark, red-faced.

"Shut up, stupid Marco! And who said you could-"

Without warning, the glow emanating from the bookmark in her hands abruptly faded out, indicating that its connection to the Chanter of Elegies had been cut. The English teacher stared at the bookmark in her hands for one long moment of silence, before angrily yelling out her words into the uncaring, empty air. Her voice of fury was intermingled with a tempestuously irritating frustration that, somehow, she couldn't completely voice or fathom.

"KEISAKU SATOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT! WHO'S GOING TO HELP ME GET MY PURCHASES HOME NOW...!?"

* * *

Above the city, the Chanter of Elegies sped onwards at full speed, his eyes locked onto the prospect of finally finding his prey. Marcosius muttered contemplatively as they flew towards their destination.

"Hmph... I'm going to miss that lady. She was a lot of fun to be around... and to tease. Hey, battle-beast, you listening?"

Obviously, Keisaku wasn't.

"Destroy... Destroy... DESTROY! EVERY DAMNED DENIZEN, I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL...!!"

* * *

"Well, this is definitely getting interesting. Too bad you left it at a cliffhanger... AGAIN."

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"Too bad. They'll just have to wait. Besides, I've got other work to take care of."

"Eh?"

"Spring break's over. Classes again. No more short intervals between updates... I think."

"And what's that supposed to mean exactly?"

"Details, details, details..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	8. Chapter 88: The Ugly Tankard

**ColinatorGX:** Shiro as Yuji's father? Hard to say. I still need to get the kinks out for that. But yes, Ike's probably going to take Sydonay's place in Bal Masque. I'm looking forwards to the upcoming character development as well.

**Blue Bragon:** Thanks. You know, that wasn't really intended to be a Fate/Stay Night reference. It just came up in my head since I like reading Celtic myths. Same with the bath scene... I wasn't really thinking of any existing series when I wrote it.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Hmm, good point, but then again, this IS a parody. And I'm not exactly intending everyone to have mirror roles. The retainment of their original personalities kinda prevents that.

* * *

"Hmph. A bit odd that you've been able to crank out all these chapters in such short intervals."

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"Nothing big. After all, I'm running on the last fumes of Spring break. After this, things are going to slow down a bit... I hope."

"What do you mean, 'you hope'?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories shuddered.

"The readers might have something else to say on the matter..."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 88: The Ugly Tankard**

* * *

"Shana, we're almost there! Are you ready!?"

"Yeah!"

Yuji looked down at the young Mystes he held tight in his arms and smiled.

"The object I gave to you for safekeeping last night, you still have it?"

Shana nodded briskly, hiding her face in the front of Yuji's gakuran to prevent him from seeing the blush on her face.

_As long as I'm with Yuji... I... I can... I can do anything...!!_

* * *

Leanan-sidhe reached out with a thin, sinuous arm as the bird of blue flame alighted on her fingers, then faded away. She looked up at the glass windows of the exhibition hall from her bench on the second-floor landing and sighed.

"...So it seems that they've finally found me."

In the next moment, everything turned to shades of red as a Seal activated. Glass shattered and cascaded in a shower of crystal as the Chanter of Elegies burst through the front of the exhibition hall, fully transformed into his bestial battle-shape. The Flame Haze smirked with a crazed light in his eyes as he regarded the Corpse Collector standing before him.

"I've finally found you, Corpse Collector. This time, you won't be getting away!"

Marcosius laughed uproariously.

"Don't be scared, now, we're just here to give you a nice kiss! A hot, intense kiss that'll set you ablaze!"

Leanan-sidhe looked up at the Chanter of Elegies, holding up a hand as she considered her next move.

_Should I...? Wait, not yet._

The Corpse Collector stretched out a hand. Keisaku whistled.

"Oh, you've decided to fight? Interesting. Not that it'll make a shred of difference!"

Leanan-sidhe whispered into the expanse of frozen time.

"...Confusion. Illusion. Trickery."

Immediately, a countless flock of birds flew into the exhibition hall, surrounding both the Chanter of Elegies and the Corpse Collector in a curtain of shimmering azure wings. Keisaku laughed mockingly.

"It's quite a display. Such a lovely aviary. But useless!"

Marcosius laughed again.

"Ooooh, pretty birdies! I can't see you because of all the flapping little wings... NOT!"

With a massive intake of air, the Chanter of Elegies then promptly let out a massive breath of flame that scattered the obscuring flock of wings. Leanan-sidhe stood alone, looking defenseless. Keisaku cackled as he loomed over his intended target and lifted a massively clawed paw.

"So long, Denizen! Say hello to all your other Denizen friends once you get to Hell!"

The paw came crashing down...

**FWOOOM!**

...Only to fall away in a burning, crispy mass, bouncing off the tiled floor like a hairy throw pillow. Keisaku stared at the charred stump that had been his Toga's right arm.

"...Huh?"

"Just in time."

Keisaku growled as he found himself now staring not only at the Corpse Collector, but also at Yuji and Shana. Yuji grinned up at the Chanter of Elegies, his hair and eyes lit with living flame and a fireball blazing away in one hand.

"Well, it looks like I'm just in time for the rematch. Missed me, Chanter of Elegies?"

Keisaku's gaze narrowed.

"You!"

"That's right. Allow me to give a re-introduction: I am the Crimson-Haired, Burning-Eyed Hunter, the Flame Haze of Alastor, Flame of the Heavens. Yuji Hirai, at your service."

Leanan-sidhe looked over to Shana, who was standing protectively in front of her with her katana at the ready.

"Oh, young girl... it's you. So we meet again... and moving about in the Seal, I see. Could it be...?"

The Corpse Collector smiled in realization.

"So, you have..."

Shana hurriedly cut her off.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry to be rude, but now's not the best time. I'll be more polite once we can afford to be polite."

Keisaku scoffed as his attention also turned to Shana.

"So, it seems that even the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter isn't above recruiting lackeys to his cause."

Yuji shrugged.

"Flame Hazes do what is necessary for the mission to be carried out. In any case... I am now here to ensure that no harm comes to the Corpse Collector, Leanan-sidhe. If you don't comply... I'm afraid that I'll have to ensure that matter by force."

Keisaku grinned wolfishly.

"Hah! One battle's just as good as another. I'll just cream you... and THEN kill the Corpse Collector! Bring it, kid!"

Leaping up into the air and regenerating the burned-off limb, Keisaku quickly started with a flurry of violet fireballs.

_"Simple deal, wiggle and reel! Hook, line, rod and creel!"_

Yuji quickly jumped out of the way, throwing out a volley of his own as he spared a brief glance to Shana.

"Shana, stay with the Corpse Collector!"

Shana opened her mouth to protest.

"But I-"

Alastor broke in, cutting off her words.

"There is no room to argue here! Protecting the Corpse Collector is of paramount importance!"

Shana reluctantly nodded as planted herself in front of Leanan-sidhe. Yuji quickly cartwheeled to the side as the Chanter of Elegies lunged in with a clawed forepaw. The impact left deep furrows in the tiled floor.

Yuji now summoned up several pillars of flame, sending them rocketing upwards towards the Chanter of Elegies. Keisaku quickly rolled into a barrelling ball of purple fur as he dove earthwards, crashing into the floor as he rolled towards Yuji like a boulder.

"Too slow!"

At that moment, Yuji quickly reacted by sidestepping and throwing out a retaliatory bolt of flame, scorching off some fur but doing little else to the Chanter of Elegies. Unrolling himself back to his full wolfish height, Keisaku suddenly split himself into a whirling merry-go-round of doppelgangers, spinning around Yuji like a carousel.

Yuji paused... and then suddenly sent a spear of flame crashing in from the the sky, piercing one doppelganger as it suddenly split into multiple homing heads that circled around in a sweeping arc.

_"Gae Bolg!"_

Keisaku countered by rapidly vanishing and re-appearing, forcing the multiple fiery heads of Yuji's Gae Bolg to wander off aimlessly and shatter without effect against the nearby walls. Keisaku next pounded a clawed fist into the floor and bellowed out another rhyme as he began to throw off another spate of random teleportation.

_"Timer set, rain to let! Forty spears of flame to bet!"_

A massive spell-circle materialized above the exhibition hall and suddenly rained down javelins of purple fire, crashing and piercing the floor in front of Yuji, forcing him to focus all of his attention on trying to evade the sudden shower of spears.

The Chanter of Elegies crowed in glee as he re-materialized squarely in front of Shana and Leanan-sidhe, a breath of flame ready to be unleashed.

"Hah! Too late!"

With a blast of flame, the figures of the Mystes and Denizen were obscured by a massive wall of fire. Keisaku howled in triumph.

Yuji, however, merely smiled.

"Gotcha."

"Wha-"

**SHHHHHTHUNK!**

From out of the flames, Shana lunged forwards, her katana swirling in a horizontal arc as it cleanly sliced Keisaku's Toga in two. The Chanter of Elegies' upper werewolf half blinked in mute astonishment as he stared at Shana's left hand.

The Treasure Ring of Repelling Fire, Azure, glimmered back from Shana's finger as though it were mocking the Chanter of Elegies.

Keisaku and Marcosius both yelled angrily.

"NO FAIR...!!"

Forcing himself to abandon his lupine form, Keisaku dropped back to the floor, his trenchcoat torn and battered as he struggled back to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he shot Yuji a defiant, angry glare.

"Hmph... How clever... Using the same tactics as that of the Huntress. I let my guard down again. However..."

Suddenly, Marcosius yelled out in warning and dismay.

"Hey, look out! Your last spell didn't quite run out yet!"

The fortieth spear came crashing down through the already-wrecked skylight and slammed home into the second-floor landing. This impact proved to be far too much for the landing to handle, as a huge chunk of the second-floor suddenly shattered apart with spectacular force.

The collapsing section caught the Chanter of Elegies and Shana in its wake, sending them tumbling into free-fall. Keisaku desperately reached out with one hand and managed to cling to a protruding girder.

Leanan-sidhe belatedly reached out with a hand in an attempt to stop Shana's fall. The Corpse Collector yelled out in alarm as Shana continued to tumble downwards, past the hanging Chanter of Elegies.

"Little one...!"

"SHANA...!!"

Yuji, heedless to potential danger, jumped in after Shana. Shana looked up at Yuji in wide-eyed shock and yelled angrily.

"You idiot!! Are you trying to get yourself killed too!?"

With a desperate mid-air lunge, Yuji suddenly managed to grab onto a jutting chunk of plaster with one hand and snatch up Shana's wrist with the other. The Flame Haze and Mystes gently and precariously swung like a pendulum as Yuji struggled to simultaneously maintain his grip on the abutment to which he clung and keep Shana from falling any further.

From his girder, Keisaku growled and aimed with his free hand at Yuji.

"You... IF I CAN'T HAVE MY REVENGE, I MIGHT AS WELL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME...!!"

A bolt of purple fire shot forth, striking Yuji's hand which clung to the abutment.

"Gaaaaah...!!"

"YUJI...!!"

Gritting his teeth, Yuji's mind spun as he quickly embraced Shana tightly and curled into a protective ball around the young Mystes.

"Shana, deactivate the ring!"

"Huh!?"

Yuji gestured with his head to the ring that glimmered on Shana's finger.

"Azure! Turn it off! Now!"

Even as Shana deactivated Azure's effects, Yuji reached into the deepest parts of his strength and screamed his only thought through his brain like a bullet.

_FLY...!!_

As if in instinctive obedience, a huge pair of crimson, flaming wings suddenly flared outwards from the small of Yuji's back, flapping with tremendous force and blurring the air around them as they suddenly took hold.

Swerving, Yuji spun and swooped, narrowly missing the floor by mere inches as he barely managed to pull himself and Shana out of freefall.

Keisaku, watching the entire scene unfold in front of him with a turbulent mixture of admiration and fury, failed to pay attention to the girder that he'd been clinging to. Heat-stressed, the steel beam suddenly broke apart straight down the middle.

Caught in his own descent, the Chanter of Elegies had no wings with which to fly.

**CRASH!**

Keisaku hit the ground floor with terrific impact, sending up plumes of dust and debris as he stared blankly up at the shattered frame of the wrecked skylight above.

_I... Why...? Why does this always happen to me...?_

* * *

_Unwanted memories thrust themselves into his brain. Memories of blood, agonizing pain, and silver flame._

_An armored woman of silver with eyes of hellfire._

_And around Keisaku, everything burned._

* * *

_Why? Why must everything I hold dear be taken away from me...?_

Keisaku blankly stared up at the sky, shaded in tones of crimson.

_I already had everything taken from me. Family, friends, loved ones, home, possessions, money..._

His right hand tightened around the strap of the Grimoire.

_...So I wished to see everything around me burn. I wanted to destroy everything, to show everyone around me just how much it hurt to have everything taken away. I wanted to laugh as the whole world burned around me._

The image of a woman with long silver hair burst forth within his mind's eye.

_But I had even that taken away. By her. She took the very last of what I held dear. She took away my revenge. So... instead of raging against and hating the world, my bitter hatred and rage turned all of their futile attentions on her._

_My revenge for the sake of lost revenge._

Marcosius' voice floated into his mind.

_Go on... say it..._

_I... I wanted to destroy everything. Everything._

_And...?_

_I was an ugly monster of hate. I was an empty, ugly monster that hated everything around me._

The voice of Marcosius dripped approval.

_That's right. You're full of ugly hatred. A lump of coal from Hell, ever-burning with fire from Dante's Inferno. You're cheap, you're ugly, and you fill yourself with all the alcohol you'll ever need._

_Your hatred._

_You're an ugly tankard, filled to the brim with the bitter, seedy ale of hatred._

_You're my ugly tankard. You... ARE KEISAKU SATOU...!!_

An entire Hell of purple flames burst forth from Keisaku's prone form, even as he screamed his hateful fury to the uncaring sky of red.

* * *

Even as Yuji barely managed to pull Shana and the Corpse Collector free of the exhibition hall, the entire complex suddenly exploded into a maelstrom of purple flames that towered up to the sky. The three of them landed atop a nearby skyscraper and stared at the strange and terrible sight in front of them.

Shana's eyes widened as she stared up at the raging violet inferno.

"What... what is _that_...!?"

From out of the midst of the flames, a massive lavender form, half-draconic and half-lupine, reared its fearsome head and bayed up at the sky in mindless rage. Alastor's voice was grim as the three continued to stare at the spectacle in front of them.

"It is the true awakened form and materialized manifestation of Marcosius, the Claw and Fangs of Violation! It appears that in his current mental state, the Chanter of Elegies has somehow managed to focus enough rage and fury into his own self, causing the Crimson Lord to materialize upon this world. If we do not stop him now, he will rage unchecked even when the Seal dissipates, causing incalculable chaos and destruction to this city!"

Shana looked back up at the raging form of Marcosius.

"Then... what do we..."

Yuji looked over to Shana.

"We'll need to take down the Chanter of Elegies himself. Nothing else will do."

Leanan-sidhe looked over to the Flame Haze and the Mystes.

"But how will you reach him? The flames surrounding him will incinerate you both within seconds!"

Yuji smiled.

"Don't worry about us. I have a plan. Shana, are you ready to go?"

Shana nodded.

"Mm."

"All right, stand still."

At that, Yuji wrapped his arms around Shana's shoulders as though he were a harness. Shana blushed at the contact, but managed to bite back the irritated remark that instinctively sprang to her lips. The Flame Haze nodded to Shana.

"Hold tight. Don't let go, whatever you do!"

"Understood. And whatever _you_ do, don't drop me, or I'll come back and haunt you!"

Yuji smiled as wings of flame once more unfolded from his back, flapping up a blur of air as the two of them soared off.

Leanan-sidhe smiled as she watched them fly off in the direction of the violet firestorm.

_Both of you... good luck._

_

* * *

_

Yuji dipped and swooped in low towards the raging violet flames as he spoke.

"Shana, re-activate Azure when I give the signal! Keep the anti-fire barrier up until we reach the Chanter of Elegies! Once we reach him within striking distance, we'll attack together in a single combined hit!"

Shana nodded, even as Yuji swooped in even lower and then gave her the signal.

"Shana, NOW!"

Instantly, Azure's anti-fire barrier came alive in a glowing nimbus of light. As Yuji's wings of flame dissipated from the ring's effects, the two of them dove straight through the flames unharmed. Within a space of a few moments, Shana suddenly spotted a huddled figure within the inferno.

"Yuji...!"

"I see it too! Shana, drop the barrier and strike!"

Even as the barrier came down, Shana brought up her katana and swung it upwards in preparation for the coming blow. Simultaneously, Yuji stretched out a hand and focused all of his power into Shana's blade.

The Nietono no Shana flared with crimson fire. For a moment, Shana's katana became a sword of blazing flame.

**SHIIIIIINK!!**

Cutting a blazing arc of flaming steel, Shana's katana sliced through the curled form of the Chanter of Elegies. With a final flare of purple flame, there was a brilliant explosion, and then all turned to light...

* * *

Keisaku slowly and painfully opened his eyes. His whole body was sore and ached as though it had been bludgeoned and pulped in a meat market. Then he found himself staring up at a pair of fearsome brown eyes.

Shana snorted as she shouldered her katana. Yuji and Leanan-sidhe were standing next to her on either side.

"Hmph. The 'Blatherer of Nonsense' is finally awake. You gave us quite a bit of trouble at the end, you know."

Keisaku blinked.

"I... I'm still... alive?"

Marcosius dryly spoke out of a nearby corner.

"You and me both, kid. I nearly thought for a second there that we'd be meeting up at the Pearly Gates... or worse, down in the Fiery Pits. Yep, we're still kicking, thanks to those two. Can't say the same for your clothing, though."

Keisaku blinked again, as he realized that he was now completely naked, covered only by the shredded remains of his trenchcoat.

Shana snorted again.

"Don't be mistaken. I was all for making sure that the both of you were dead and buried, but a certain pervert stalker here insisted that we should keep you two alive."

Yuji smiled sheepishly.

"You're giving me too much credit, Shana. I noticed that you intentionally missed his vitals when you landed that final strike."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Keisaku agonizingly sat up and glared at Yuji and Shana.

"You two... If it weren't for the two of you, I'd have gotten my prey and moved on! Why did you two brats get in my way!?"

Alastor answered.

"In order to remind the both of you as to your true duties, as Crimson Lord and Flame Haze. Your duties are not to hunt down Denizens. Rather, it is to maintain-"

Keisaku simultaneously interrupted and finished Alastor's words with a huff of annoyed vexation.

"Yeah, yeah... 'maintain the balance between the two worlds'. Hmph. It's not like I can fight right now, anyway."

Alastor continued, unmindful of the Chanter of Elegies' lack of manners.

"Rest assured, however, we will continue to remind you of that duty, as many times as it takes, should you recklessly and thoughtlessly endanger the balance of this world ever again."

Leanan-sidhe stepped forwards. Keisaku instinctively drew backwards as she did so, causing the Corpse Collector to smile.

"Relax, young one. I'm not bent on exacting any sort of revenge. Besides, your bookish friend here was quite insistent that I keep my hands off. Something about 'ripping me to shreds and chewing on the remains' should I harm you."

Marcosius stirred threateningly.

"You better keep your lily-white hands off my battle-beast! Or else!"

Leanan-sidhe smiled over at the Grimoire as she continued.

"In any case, I'm only here to give you a piece of advice, Chanter of Elegies: Don't go after the 'Silver'."

Keisaku's eyes widened.

"You... what would you know about her!?"

The look in the Corpse Collector's lavender eyes turned sad.

"Enough to tell you that pursuing her at this time would be futile. She does not stay in one place for long, and always changes her appearance as she moves. She will never be caught by the likes of you."

"Then... my revenge..."

Leanan-sidhe placed a comforting hand on Keisaku's shoulder. The Chanter of Elegies still couldn't help but flinch.

"Do not lose heart. The 'Silver' will appear, when the time is right. It will be up to you to decide what to do when you finally do meet up with her. I will await your decision with great interest. That is all."

The Corpse Collector then turned her attention to the devastation that surrounded them.

"This city has suffered much, and the Seal will fade away soon. I doubt that even the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter has enough in him to repair all of this damage."

Shana looked up at Yuji.

"I... I'll help fix it. I'm sure that-"

Leanan-sidhe shook her head.

"No, little one. This is beyond the ability or capacity of even one such as yourself. But for me..."

Smiling sadly, the Denizen reached into the depths of her dress and revealed a ball of ribbon. It glowed faintly with shades of blue and green. Shana stared at it in dismay.

"But... that... You spent all this time...!"

Cutting her off with a single gesture, the Corpse Collector made a small motion with her hand. The Power of Existence contained within suddenly began to flow outwards, pouring over the wreckage like gentle streams of water.

Everything glowed to white...

* * *

Yuji and Shana stopped at the outskirts of the city. Leanan-sidhe bowed to both of them.

"It has been an interesting time spent in your company. Both of you, that is. And I feel that I must thank you for saving this one."

Yuji smiled, but then shook his head regretfully.

"I can't help but feel that I must apologize, however. To have spent all that time gathering all that Power of Existence, and then using it all on this city..."

The Corpse Collector smiled.

"Do not bother yourself on my part. A few centuries is but a small pittance to one such as myself. And I consider it more of a thank-you gift, for having come to my aid."

Alastor hummed in agreement.

"I must thank you as well, Leanan-sidhe. To preserve the balance as you have... All of both worlds owe you their thanks."

Leanan-sidhe bowed to the Cocytus that hung from Yuji's keychain, then turned to Shana.

"Little one... Bearer of the Midnight Lost Child... I foresee great things for you in the future, for you and the Flame Haze who stands next to you."

Shana looked up at the Denizen and smiled.

"Will we ever meet again?"

Leanan-sidhe smiled back.

"I am sure of it. In any event, the winds will blow the news of your coming exploits to me wherever I go. Fare you well, Flame Haze and Mystes. And thank you... for restoring my faith in this coming generation."

Leanan-sidhe bowed once, then slowly began to walk off into the distance. Alastor spoke one final line of farewell.

"Safe travels to you, Spiral Organ. May your wish ultimately come true."

Yuji blinked, then stared down at Alastor's Cocytus as he then turned his eyes in wonderment to Leanan-sidhe's receding figure.

"Wait, did you just say 'Spiral Organ'!?"

"Mm. I did."

Shana blinked in some confusion.

"Huh? Who's 'Spiral Organ'?"

Yuji, his gaze still fixed on Leanan-sidhe's now-distant figure, shook his head in amazement as he answered Shana's question.

"Spiral Organ is generally considered to be the greatest of all spell-users within the Crimson Realm. Many of the spells we now use were first invented by her, including the Seal itself."

Alastor murmured in affirmation.

"Indeed. The names 'Leanan-sidhe' and 'Corpse Collector' are simply aliases used by Spiral Organ to grant her extraordinary freedom of movement within this world as she walks it, gathering the necessary Power of Existence to fulfill her wish."

Shana stared out at the horizon. The figure of Spiral Organ was now a mere speck in the distance. Nobody said another word as the transient Denizen faded from view.

* * *

Keisaku glumly sat on the park bench, still sore and aching as he wrapped the tattered shreds of his trenchcoat tighter around his naked form. Marcosius groaned painfully.

"Egh... Well... where to now, kid?"

The Chanter of Elegies stared out at the street.

"I... don't know. I'm so tired. I'm tired of hating... tired of fighting... I'm completely tired. I can't even come up with a single damn half-assed poem now. That's how tired I am."

"Heh. Amen to that."

Keisaku blinked up at the sky. Late afternoon had now receded into evening, and the first of the stars were now winking down at him. The Chanter of Elegies sighed.

"I don't even know what I have left now."

"Kid..."

"What, don't tell me you're going to spout some cheeseball nonsense like 'You still have me' or some other junk like that."

"No, kid... just look over there."

Keisaku blinked as he felt a shadow fall over him.

"Huh...?"

The next moment, without warning, several shopping bags fell into his lap. Margery Daw sat down next to him and winked.

"Finally found you. Come on, kid... you've got a ton of shoes and lingerie to lug home. If you shift your butt fast enough, maybe I'll even let you see me try some of it on..."

Keisaku looked away and snorted.

"Hmph. Don't speak such nonsense so casually."

A single tear fell unnoticed into the shopping bags that were on Keisaku's lap.

* * *

"Urgh... Eight chapters done."

"Yep. And that was just the easy part."

The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he reached for a nearby carton of guava juice.

"...God in Heaven, kill me now..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	9. Chapter 69: The Poolside of Confusion

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Er, thank you, I guess. But really, the frenetic pace of updates will slow down from here on out. I was just updating quickly because I had a lot of time during Spring Break. Here's hoping the coming chapters will be to your liking.

**CapoExecutor:** Falling off in a good way, right? XD But yes, one day, Keisaku might start to notice Margery more as a woman and less as a nuisance.

**ColinatorGX:** Thank you. Most likely, though, Merihim is probably going to be Shana's father figure this time around. As for Bel Peol... *Grins*

* * *

"Well, here we are. The ninth chapter. And, of all things, involving infamous Misaki Waterland. Kinda an odd coincidence that summer's around the corner as well."

The Writer of Questionable Stories murmured indistinctly around a mouthful of pita bread and hummus.

"Mhmm."

"Sandy beaches... sunny days and cloudless blue skies... beautiful babes in swimsuits... Bouncing breasts..."

The Writer of Questionable Stories angrily wiped at his face as he fought back tears.

"Stop it... you're making me feel depressed..."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 69: The Poolside of Confusion and Envy**

* * *

_Everything's coming along at a steady pace in Misaki. Spring has turned to summer. Yuji's still stalking me as always, but he always gets a little nervous whenever he sees Wilhelmina now. I think he's developed an unreasoning fear of taking baths._

_It's no use complaining about the heat, since it's summer, but geez... It's days like this that leave me wishing for ice cream that came in a melon-bread flavor._

* * *

"Ah... It's hot."

Shana grumbled as they trudged along the street towards the school. Yuji smiled as he walked alongside her.

"Well, of course it would be hot outside. It is summer, after all."

"Shut up, idiot. I wasn't talking to you!"

"Hahahaha..."

From a distance, Hecate silently watched the two converse as easily as if they were close childhood friends. One of her hands clenched tightly.

_They're not... together yet, are they? I pray that it isn't so. I cannot let that happen. Not without a fight. I'm not going to simply give up and let you have Hirai-kun._

Hecate's eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to slowly follow after them.

_Shana... I will not lose to you._

* * *

As Yuji and Shana entered the classroom, Khamsin was busy handing out small slips of paper to the entire class.

"...Oh, thank you, Khamsin-kun."

"Thanks!"

After another moment, Khamsin approached Yuji and Shana and placed slips of paper into their hands.

"Here you go. Two passes."

Shana blinked at the ticket that nestled in her fingers.

"Uhm... what are these tickets for?"

Khamsin smiled.

"My father has some influential contacts within the city, so he gave me a whole bunch of tickets to that new aquatic playground, Misaki Waterland. I hear that it has been very popular among the younger folk."

Shana looked back down at the Waterland pass.

"Misaki Waterland, eh? I remember watching that commercial on the TV just a few weeks back. Bunch of nonsense from women in shamelessly revealing bathing suits. Hmph. 'Get wet' my ass..."

Yuji blinked down at his own pass, then looked over to Shana.

"Shana, just what is this 'Misaki Waterland'?"

Shana looked up at the Flame Haze in slight annoyance.

"Geez, you really _are_ clueless, aren't you? For your information, it's a gigantic playground with pools and slides. Everyone splashes around, gets wet, and generally makes huge fools of themselves. Think of it like a gigantic bath to play around in. It's a huge waste of time."

Yuji's face suddenly took on a fearful expression.

"Giant... bath?"

An unhappy memory suddenly sprang up in Yuji's mind.

* * *

_"Gaaaaah! Wilhelmina-san, you're being too rough!"_

_"Dirt must be eliminated at all levels and and at all costs. Truly, stop moving about so much. You will spill the soap."_

_"SHANA, SAVE MEEEEE...!!"_

* * *

Yuji paled and shuddered, closing his eyes as he fought to bury the haunting memory. Shana looked up at him and blinked in mild puzzlement.

"Yuji... are you all right? You're looking rather ill."

"Erm, I think I'll head over to the school infirmary for a bit. Be back soon..."

The Flame Haze gave the Mystes a sickly grin as he headed out the classroom door, running smack dab into something soft as he did so.

"Ooof. Oh. There's something... What's this?"

Yuji had run straight into Margery's chest. The English teacher raised an eyebrow, but otherwise made no huge fuss.

"My, my... Teenage boys are so daring these days..."

Shana, however, was a completely different story. Crimson-faced and trembling as she watched Yuji struggle to escape the suffocating embrace of Margery's cleavage, it took her only a moment to draw her katana and raise it in a fine fury.

"YUJI YOU STUPID PERVERT...!!"

* * *

"Gah... that hurt."

Yuji, sitting alone in the school infirmary, nursed a bump on the back of his head as Alastor spoke somewhat dryly.

"You should be thankful that she only attacked you with the flat of the blade. Imagine what would have happened had she gone after you with full killing intent."

The Flame Haze winced at the thought, but his attention soon fell to the Waterland pass that was still in his hand.

"Hey, Alastor..."

"Mmm?"

"What's... this Misaki Waterland all about? Do you know anything about it?"

"I do believe that Shana explained most of it to you. As to why humans play in the water... I guess the exact reasons why will always be beyond the scope of my understanding or comprehension. They simply view it as a form of amusement."

"Is... is it really like taking... like taking a b-bath?"

Yuji couldn't help but shudder as a glimmer of that terrible memory struggled to resurface. The Flame Haze forced it down with extreme prejudice. Alastor's reply was non-committal.

"I do not know. The only way to find out would be for you to investigate for yourself."

"Hmmm..."

* * *

Yuji walked back into the classroom by the time the lunch bell rang. Shana looked up from her desk and frowned.

"You've been gone an awfully long time."

The Flame Haze scratched at the back of his head in sheepish enbarrassment.

"Sorry... The swelling took a while to go down."

"Hmph. Idiot. It's your own fault anyway."

Shana then blushed as she pressed a tentative question.

"Does... does it hurt much?"

Yuji just smiled and shook his head as he sat down at his desk and pulled out a package of riceballs.

"No. I've had worse."

Suddenly, another voice broke in upon their conversation.

"...Hirai-kun."

Blinking, Yuji looked up to see Hecate and Khamsin standing nearby, lunchboxes in their hands. He politely nodded back.

"Khamsin-san. Hecate-san. Is something the matter?"

Hecate looked over to Shana for a moment. Shana glared back. For a moment, Yuji felt as if the classroom air had suddenly been crammed full of killing intent. Then the auras abruptly subsided, and Hecate turned back to Yuji.

"I was wondering if you would mind us eating next to you during lunch."

Yuji, blinking in some mild bemusement, simply looked over to Shana. Shana simply grumbled as she opened up another package of melon bread and tore at it in annoyance.

"Don't just stare at me, idiot! Do whatever you want!"

Yuji looked rather nonplussed at Shana's response, but then decided to make the best of it and nodded to Hecate.

"Sure, I don't mind."

Khamsin politely nodded and took a seat near Shana. Hecate gave Yuji a brief smile and sat down at an adjacent desk. She took a brief look at Yuji's lunch, which consisted of nothing but various kinds of riceballs.

"Are you unable to cook?"

Yuji looked up at Hecate and laughed in slight embarrassment.

"Haha... it's not that. My mom once told me that a guy won't succeed in the world if he depends on his mother for three square meals a day. Besides, riceballs are convenient to eat and cost little money."

Hecate seemed to frown at Yuji's lunch.

"But still... It does not seem like a meal that would contain much nutritional value. Would... would it be fine if I made some lunch for you next time?"

Yuji nodded and smiled.

"Sure! That would be great!"

Suddenly, Yuji heard a rustle of plastic wrappers. Looking down, he found himself staring at a package of melon bread, sitting on his riceballs without so much as a "howdy do".

Yuji blinked and then looked over at Shana, who was blushing up a storm. She stammered out her retort as he continued to stare at the young female Mystes.

"W-what!? What are you looking at, idiot!? It's not like... it's just for the sake of your nutrition, that's all!"

Yuji had an oddly contemplative look on his face as he began to open the package of melon bread and eat.

"Uhm, Shana..."

"What!?"

"Mrrnch... Melon bread isn't exactly considered... Mrrrf... by doctors to be healthy, nutritious food..."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Even in the middle of her tirade, however, Shana noticed that Hecate's eyes were narrowing ever so slightly.

_Hmph. Makes you mad, doesn't it, _Miss Convent_? Wait, why am _I _getting all worked up about who's hanging around Yuji...!?_

Before her thoughts could get anywhere else, however, a throat cleared, attracting the attention of the three classmates. Looking up, the quartet found themselves looking up at Sorath and Tiriel. Tiriel smiled in an almost... predatorial fashion.

"Everyone, since we have these passes, I was wondering whether anyone else would like to join me at Misaki Waterland on Sunday."

Yuji shuddered slightly, but didn't actually give an outright negative. Hecate, however, abruptly and unexpectedly spoke up.

"I... would not mind."

Shana blinked.

_Huh? Miss Convent, socializing? That's odd... She _never_ socializes... She just prays to whatever God she worships until the cows come home... Wait..._

Then her mind clicked as Hecate suddenly turned to Yuji.

"Yuji, would you mind joining me as well?"

Feeling a sudden surge of unreasoning anxiety and vexation, Shana quickly cut in as well.

"I... I'll come as well! Yuji, you'll come along too, right? Right!?"

Yuji blinked at Shana's sudden willingness to join them, but sighed in resignation as he nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, I guess I could come along..."

Tiriel's smile grew wider as she ascertained the reason for Shana's sudden willingness to join in on the invitation, as well as her vehement insistence on Yuji's accompaniment.

"Excellent. Now, since it's a new summer season, might I suggest that all of us girls go on Saturday to pick out new swimsuits? Can't do to make our summer season debut in nothing but our best, right?"

At that, Tiriel returned her attention to her brother and began to energetically resume the frenching of her sibling.

Yuji blinked.

"...Swimsuits?"

Shana groaned as she slammed her forehead onto the surface of her desk.

"Don't tell me you don't know what a swimsuit is, clueless idiot..."

* * *

_That Saturday..._

"Now, now, Hecate-tan... Surely, there's no reason to be so _embarrassed_..."

"But I..."

Tiriel giggled girlishly as she looked over another rack of swimsuits.

"Come now... I've seen the way you eye Hirai-kun. You're into that nice young man, aren't you? And isn't Shana-tan after him as well?"

Hecate blushed, even as she undid the buttons on her uniform.

"...That is... true..."

"Then you've got to advertise yourself the best you can! I know my brother enjoys all the swimwear _I _wear for him..."

At that moment, Sorath appeared, clutching several sets of female swimwear.

"Hey, hey, Sis... could you try these on? I wanna see you in them!"

Tiriel gave him a brief, loving smile.

"Of course, Brother. In a moment, as soon as I attend to the needs of our lady friend here... Now go, sit down and be a good boy, and I'll try them on in a bit. I'll take you out for a banana split later~"

"Yaaaay...!"

Hecate sighed.

"I'll never understand the relationship between you two..."

"Now, now, enough complaints. Here, try this on..."

Tiriel slid a white, racy little two-piece under the curtain.

"Isn't this... a bit too showy?"

"Now, now, all's fair in love and war! Besides, it's always a good idea to keep a young man awake at night, thinking about _you_... perhaps also feeling a little damp below the belt, _no_?"

"Tiriel-san, I'm just trying to spend more time with him, not _seduce_ him..."

The sister of Sorath grinned diabolically.

"Why not do _both_?"

Hecate's voice rose slightly in protest.

"Tiriel-san, that's not a topic that should be used in jest..."

Tiriel chuckled.

"Who said I was joking?"

"Tiriel-san...!"

Shana showed up at that moment, holding a shopping bag under one arm. Tiriel turned around and smiled.

"My, finished already, Shana-tan?"

Shana mumbled an affirmation as she sat down at a nearby bench. Tiriel had a distinctly inquisitive look on her face as she gave Shana an appraising glance.

"So... what kind of swimsuit did you pick out?"

Shana blushed slightly and snorted.

"Hmph! None of your business."

"Something nice and well-cut, I must imagine. Something perfect to catch the eye of a certain classmate, no?"

Shana didn't say a word, but the blush on her face intensified. It was all the confirmation that Tiriel needed.

"Hmhmhm, I thought so~"

"Hmph!"

* * *

Yuji, sitting on a couch inside Shana's apartment, blinked as Wilhelmina tossed him a small packet. The young Flame Haze looked down at the parcel in his lap.

"What is this for?"

Shana's guardian stared back with an unblinking gaze.

"Truly, I understood from Shana's observations last night that you are currently lacking adequate swimwear. Truly, I decided to remedy the situation."

Yuji hesitantly opened the packet. Inside was a modest pair of baggy swimming trunks, colored a dark navy-blue. Yuji smiled.

"Thank you, Wilhelmina-san."

Wilhelmina briefly nodded.

"Truly, perhaps you should try them on now and see if they fit."

Yuji nodded and began to disrobe on the sofa. At that moment, Shana walked in, still bearing her purchase.

"...Yuji, what are you doing?"

Yuji blinked.

"Changing."

There was a long moment of silence.

* * *

**THWACK! THWACK! THWOCK!**

The entire apartment complex shook as though seized by a seismic tremor. In the background, a thin, feminine voice of fury could be heard shrieking at the top of its lungs.

"YOU IDIOTIC PERVERT STALKER! GO CHANGE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN'T SEE YOU...!!"

Alastor's voice could be faintly heard speaking wryly a few seconds after the yelling had stopped.

"...Mmm, how familiar."

* * *

It was a sweltering sunny day at Misaki Waterland. Yuji sat on the bench with Khamsin outside of the changing area. Both of them had already gotten into their swimwear. Yuji, of course, was wearing the pair that Wilhelmina had acquired for him. Khamsin was wearing a loose pair of orange swimming trunks.

All around Yuji were people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. All of them were busily engaged in splashing, talking, yelling, shrieking, sipping cool drinks, and having a good time in general. The Flame Haze slowly sighed and let himself relax, smiling slightly as he took in the scene around him.

_I guess it's not as scary as a bath after all..._

At that moment, Sorath came out, accompanied, not surprisingly, by Tiriel. Sorath was wearing a maroon Speedo that covered very little. Tiriel wore a two-piece something that was indescribably pink, frilly... and also covered very little.

"Hey, hey, Sis, that looks good on you."

"Your swimsuit also looks very good, Brother..."

Without a moment's hesitation, the two began liplocking and exchanging saliva. Several nearby bystanders looked distinctly discomfited.

Khamsin glanced at them both briefly. He hardly batted an eyelash as he spoke.

"Ah... youth."

Yuji simply gave a wan smile, and did his best to ignore the two siblings. After a moment, however, Tiriel reluctantly broke off her display of physical affection and turned to Yuji and Khamsin.

"Well, I think the others should be appearing any moment now..."

As if on cue, Shana slowly walked out of the changing rooms, sporting a sleek black one-piece that left much of her back exposed, and showed off her legs and arms to good effect. A single thin red diagonal stripe ran down the left side, accentuating the cut of the swimsuit. Her hair had been left undone, and fluttered loosely in the summer breeze.

Khamsin nodded in brief admiration.

"Hmm... that's not bad. Not bad at all. Making the best of what she has, and emphasizing them... Not bad at all."

Yuji didn't say a word. He simply stared at Shana, red-faced and lost for words. Shana looked up at Yuji and similarly blushed as she quickly averted her eyes.

"W-what are you staring at, you perverted stalker!? Don't look at me like that..."

Tiriel smiled and wagged a finger at Shana.

"Now, now, don't be like that. A woman must appreciate a man's honest admiration."

Tiriel suddenly looked over her shoulder as sounds of approaching footsteps caught her ear. She smiled mischievously.

"Oh, here comes our other little beauty now..."

Hecate walked out, dressed in the same white two-piece that Tiriel had slid underneath the changing-room curtain yesterday. Yuji's eyes only widened further.

The two-piece was indeed something that left very little to the imagination. The young Flame Haze wasn't sure, but it seemed as if the swimsuit had simply been made from two lengths of white ribbon that had been strategically wrapped around Hecate's person. All in all, it was definitely an eye-catcher.

Seeing Yuji's face redden even further, Tiriel's mischievous smile only grew bigger. She gently nudged Hecate with an elbow.

"My, isn't this something? It seems that a certain young man here appreciates your taste in swimwear, Hecate-tan..."

A faint blush appeared on the teal-haired girl's face. Shana scowled. Suddenly, everyone's attention was grabbed by a familiar voice.

"Hey, looks like the gang's all here. Has the party started yet?"

Khamsin turned around and nodded.

"Ah, you're here. Good. Thank you for coming."

All of the other students looked up to find themselves staring up at their English teacher. Margery Daw was standing just outside of the changing rooms, dressed in a scanty lavender bikini that seemed hard-pressed to hold back her ample assets from spilling out. A gauzy blue pool towel was wrapped around her waist. Her hair, much like Shana's, had also been left unbound, falling around her head and shoulders like a waterfall of light gold. Yuji was dimly aware that other men in the immediate area, as well as quite a few women, were all staring at her in varying degrees of admiration, desire, resentment, or envy.

Shana blinked and stammered, apparently somewhat taken aback by Margery's... size.

"T-Teach!? What the heck are you doing here!?"

Khamsin smiled faintly.

"I figured that we might do well in having an adult act as chaperone while we were here today. So I took the liberty of asking our English teacher to act as our guardian for today. She was only too happy to oblige. Well then... shall we start?"

Even as everyone started to head over in the direction of the pools, Yuji hung slightly back. Shana, noticing the Flame Haze's hesitation, simply smiled and took hold of his arm.

"Come on, idiot. Let's go swimming."

"How about I do so instead?"

Yuji blinked as he suddenly found his other arm tightly in Hecate's grasp. Shana glared daggers at Hecate as she yanked on the arm that she had claimed.

"Forget it! I'll do it, not you!"

Hecate tugged on the other arm.

"If it is swimming with Hirai-kun, I will perform the task much more efficiently."

"That's a laugh!"

Before Yuji could respond to the two bickering girls or attempt to plot an escape, however, he felt a familiar presence close in from behind. Looking over his shoulder, Yuji blinked in some surprise as he found himself staring at the Chanter of Elegies, clad in a pair of red swimming trunks. Marcosius was slung over his shoulder.

"K-Keisaku? What are you doing here?"

The Chanter of Elegies didn't respond directly to Yuji's question. Frowning slightly, he simply stared at Margery's distant figure.

"Hmph. She just went ahead and did what she wanted, as usual. Insisting that I get off my butt and come out of doors... Saying something about 'growing kids needing enough sunlight' and other sorts of absolute verbal garbage."

His last few grumbling words were muttered and faint to the point that only Yuji's trained ear could pick them up.

"'Growing kid' my ass... I'm centuries older than that little girl..."

Marcosius seemed to visibly tremble with the urge to laugh wildly and speak some sort of half-assed wisecrack, but wisely held his mouth shut in view of the fact that there were ordinary humans, including Hecate, within earshot.

Keisaku's arrival had not gone unnoticed by either of the two girls that were clinging to Yuji's arms. Shana narrowed her eyes at the Chanter of Elegies.

"What's a troublemaker like you doing here? Are you here to pick another fight with us?"

Hecate stared up at Keisaku, but simply looked over to Yuji in inquiry.

"A friend of yours, Hirai-kun?"

Yuji answered their questions, but also simultaneously took advantage of the girls' distraction to wiggle free of their impromptu tug-of-war.

"Haha... I don't think he's here to cause trouble, Shana. I think he's just here to... relax, actually. Hecate-san, this is Keisaku Satou, an acquaintance."

Keisaku gave Hecate the briefest of nods in greeting before turning back to Yuji.

"In any case, you're right about one thing today: I'm not here to start a fight. I'm too tired to fight, or even think of fighting. All I really want to do is-"

Suddenly, Margery's voice yelled out from a nearby pool.

"Oi, Keisaku! Be a darling and get me a drink, will you!? Preferably something iced and cool! And make it snappy!"

Rolling his eyes, Keisaku sighed and slowly walked off to do Margery's bidding. Yuji couldn't help but feel sorry for the Chanter of Elegies as he watched him go. All thoughts of sympathy, however, vanished as he felt two small sets of arms abruptly take hold of his own once more. Yuji gave a silent groan.

_I'm really going to be in for it today..._

From inside the Cocytus, Alastor winced as he watched his Flame Haze being sieged on both sides by two very determined young girls.

* * *

Noon had just come and gone. Yuji, having managed to temporarily evade the exhausting attentions of the two girls, panted for breath as he slumped into the shallow section of a wading pool, blowing bubbles as his head sank deeper into the water. Alastor spoke, not without a little sympathy in his voice.

"I cannot help but think that out of all the conflicts you've faced so far, this one must be the most exhausting."

Yuji nodded.

"Flame Hazes don't usually run out of stamina this quickly, but... those two can really take it out of a person."

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a shadow fell over Yuji's face. Looking up, the Flame Haze found himself staring up at Khamsin, who was sitting near the edge of the pool and sipping at a soft drink. Yuji weakly smiled up at him.

"Ah, Khamsin-san. How are you?"

His tanned, dark-haired classmate gave a vague smile of his own as he gave reply.

"Not too bad. It's fun to do this sort of thing every once in a while. You're looking a little pale, Hirai-kun. Is something wrong?"

Yuji gritted his teeth as he tried to forget the constant human tug-of-war he'd been playing host to the entire morning.

"N-nah... Just a little tired."

"Mmm. Take it easy."

Another, bigger shadow fell over both Yuji and Khamsin, prompting the two of them to look further up. Margery stood over them, holding a piece of paper in one hand and a fruit cocktail in the other.

"Well, this is interesting. Take a look at this."

The English teacher showed the two boys the paper she held. Yuji blinked at the small poster as he read the writing that had been printed on it.

"...'Misaki Waterland Love-Love Water Cavalry Battle. Fight and earn fantastic prizes...' Margery-san, what's this all about?"

Margery grinned.

"Some sort of aquatic competition for romantic couples. The prizes sound pretty interesting, I must admit. The grand prize for the winning couple is a dinner for two at Misaki City's finest four-star restaurant. Runner-up prizes include all-expense-paid shopping sprees and generic electronic junk."

The Misaki High English teacher winked down at the two boys.

"So, feel like participating?"

Khamsin shrugged.

"Why not? But... who are we going to participate in this little aquatic battle with? The poster mentioned that it was for romantic couples..."

A devious glint came to Margery's eyes. Yuji couldn't help but feel a chill run up his spine as her grin grew wider.

"...Well, let's see..."

* * *

Keisaku grumbled as he looked askance at the strings in Margery's hand.

"Why do I need to go along with something this stupid?"

Margery only winked at the taciturn Flame Haze.

"Now, now... all that frowning is going to ruin your handsome features. Let's just think of this as another way to have some fun."

Hecate blinked, even as she grabbed hold of the hem of Yuji's swimming trunks.

"...If Yuji is participating, then I see no reason not to."

Inside, the young prayer-nut was busily fantasizing about having a romantic dinner date with Yuji Hirai.

Shana, feeling somewhat vexed at seeing Hecate grab hold of Yuji's swimwear as well as noticing the dreamy look in her eyes, glared at her unspoken rival and nodded to Margery.

"I'll participate as well!"

Yuji felt the sudden urge to gulp.

The girls were all lined up one side, and the guys were lined up on the other. Sorath and Tiriel were sitting on the sidelines and sucking face for all they were worth, having politely declined the offer to participate. Margery gave everyone a final grin, then stretched out her hand, still clutching the strings.

"All right, everyone! Take a straw, take a pick! Moment I let go, we're going to see who our partners are going to be for this little event. If your end of string matches up with someone else, that's your partner."

Once everyone had taken hold of a string, Margery nodded and opened her hand.

"All right! Here we go...!"

* * *

Shana glared daggers at Hecate from her perch atop Khamsin's shoulders. Hecate gave an unblinking stare in reply as she leaned on Yuji's head.

Keisaku grumbled, shifting from foot to foot as Margery straddled his neck. The English teacher stared down at her human mount in some amusement.

"What's the matter? Am I too heavy for you?"

Keisaku blinked as he frowned up at Margery.

"...Huh?"

Margery grinned.

"Good answer, young man. You should get a gold star for that."

Keisaku rolled his eyes. Margery, noticing the expression on the Chanter of Elegies' face, winked in flirtatious teasing.

"What, does it bother you that I'm on top this time?"

Turning slightly red in the face, Keisaku snorted and looked away in mild disgust.

"...Don't speak stupid things."

Yuji, still struggling with Hecate on his shoulders, looked over to Shana. The young female Mystes scowled at him and turned away, pouting for a reason that the young Flame Haze couldn't comprehend.

"Hmph!"

"...Eh?"

Any further thought on Yuji's part, however, was rendered impossible as the event's emcee took his place at the microphone, flanked by a lovely model in a revealing swimsuit.

"Welcome to this year's Misaki Waterland Love-Love Water Cavalry Battle! I hope everyone is ready! The objective here is for our lovely ladies in the water to snatch off their opponents' headbands, while holding onto their own! The one with the most headbands while holding onto their own will be the winner! Everyone ready!?"

Immediately, the paired couples braced themselves for the starting whistle, which a nearby model was holding.

"Ready... Get set... GO!"

**TWEEEEEET!**

Even as the whistle blew, couples began converging and grappling. Khamsin looked over at both Yuji and Keisaku.

"Well, it does no good for us to be trying to take each other down right off the bat, so let's just start off with eliminating everyone else first."

As everyone else nodded, the three pairs broke off and headed towards their own selected targets.

Yuji, not surprisingly due to the fact that he was a Flame Haze, moved exceptionally well through the water. Hecate managed to snag a headband from a contestant who had underestimated Yuji's reflexes. Yuji smiled brightly as Hecate stared at the headband in her fingers.

"Good going, Hecate-san!"

Hecate, blushing slightly, simply nodded.

_Even if we don't win... this is nice..._

Shana was busily engaged in yelling at Khamsin to move faster.

"Hurry yourself up, slowpoke! I can't do what needs to be done if you don't move your legs faster!"

Khamsin smiled faintly as he moved at his own deliberate pace.

"There's no point in rushing things, Shana. Just enjoy the moment."

Even with Khamsin's ponderous gait, however, Shana did manage to grab a trio of headbands from a group of ladies imprudent enough to rush her without thinking.

Keisaku, also a Flame Haze, had little difficulty in moving about in the water, but moved at a fairly unmotivated pace. Margery dug in her heels in an attempt to make her human mount move a little faster.

"Hey, hey! A little bit more focus on the game, kid! Or do you want to lose?"

Keisaku quietly snorted.

"Hmph. And what are you so worked up about? There's really no point to this game..."

Even with the non-stop bickering, however, Margery managed to craftily hook a pair of headbands from two couples who had been so busily engrossed in grappling with each other that they forgot to check their flanks.

Yuji dodged again, focusing more on simply avoiding opponents rather than actively engaging them. Hecate, even with only one headband in her possession, seemed perfectly content to be sitting atop Yuji's shoulders. The Flame Haze nodded to himself as he sidestepped another oncoming pair.

_So far, so good..._

However, a loud, familiar voice soon put paid to those thoughts.

"...YUJI! PREPARE YOURSELF!"

Yuji blinked. Khamsin, looking mildly vexed, was running at a pace that he was obviously unused to. Shana was busily engaged in using the flat of her katana blade on poor Khamsin's shoulders like a riding crop as she bore down on Yuji at high speed. Khamsin muttered a single line in obvious displeasure as he continued to run towards Yuji and Hecate at full speed.

"Young lady, I'm very disappointed in you..."

Shana obviously showed little sign of caring as she whipped him again with her katana.

"Blah blah blah! Faster! I NEED TO CATCH THOSE TWO!"

Yuji, looking quite astonished, simply turned and began to run as fast as he could in a wild panic as he struggled to keep Hecate from falling off.

"Shana, why are you chasing me!? Didn't we agree not to go after each other...!?"

Shana angrily shook her head, letting out her vexations on poor Khamsin by whipping him faster with the flat of her katana.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! JUST STOP AND LET ME GET YOU!"

The emcee, seeing the wild pursuit, whooped with glee.

"I say, there are some very energetic couples in the competition this year! Only one minute left!"

As Yuji turned to curve around as he neared the extremity of the pool, Shana drew within arm's reach and yelled triumphantly.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW...!"

Yuji, looking over his shoulder at Shana, was paying little attention to what was going on in front of him. That was when he collided full-on into Keisaku, similarly distracted as he continued to bicker with Margery while maneuvering around several opponents. Shana and Khamsin, moving at an uncontrolled velocity, then collided in turn like a domino. The resulting explosion of water created an obscuring spray of mist that momentarily hid the six participants from view. The headbands that all three girls had been holding onto flew off in random directions.

As the mist receded, the revealed scene was one of absolute chaos.

Margery, standing up in the pool, found Khamsin's face buried in-between her enormous... talents. Margery snorted in mild amusement.

"...I'm sure you must find this situation enjoyable, but maybe you could move...?"

Khamsin gave reply in a deadpan voice that was muffled by Margery's cleavage.

"I would, but I wish to enjoy this moment a little longer. No point in rushing things. And also... my legs are too tired to move. My classmate Shana has proven far too... energetic for me."

Margery, seeing the apparent humor in the situation, simply broke out into open laughter. Keisaku, shaking the water out of his hair and eyes, simply shook his head in disgust and turned away.

"Hmph. Idiots..."

Somehow, though, he found the thought of someone else burying their face in Margery's cleavage strangely... displeasing.

Shana, meanwhile, was sitting up in the water. Hecate, still also in the pool, looked around in some concern.

"...I do not see Hirai-kun."

Shana blinked, looking about as well.

"Yeah, that's odd... Yuji, where are you!?"

Meanwhile, the whistle blew, signalling the end of the match.

**TWEEEEET!!!**

The emcee bellowed into his mike.

"Annnnd that's the end of the competition, folks! It looks like we have an unexpected winner! Bel Peol and Sydonay, principal and gym teacher from our very own Misaki High School!"

Shana stared at the dark horse couple in shocked amazement.

"The p-principal..? And that idiot gym teacher too!? They were here this whole time...!?"

Sydonay waved to Margery with one arm.

"Ah, Margery. Quite a surprise, seeing you here."

"Feeling's mutual. What are you doing here with our school principal?"

Bel Peol chuckled mildly. The Misaki High school principal was garbed in a very revealing wine-red bikini.

"Just settling a debt that our good gym teacher owed me. Nothing personal. By the by, I must thank you, Margery, for making it possible for us to win."

As if to emphasize the point, Bel Peol playfully twirled one of the dropped headbands she'd picked up. Margery sighed.

"Well, it's our loss in any case. Say... where's Hirai?"

Shana, still looking around in the water, began to feel a surge of anxiety well up inside her.

_Yuji... where did you go!?_

Suddenly, Shana felt a tickle of rising bubbles flow past her legs. The young Mystes looked down into the pool.

_"...!!"_

Shana abruptly felt her heart stop. Her entire face turned the color of a ripe tomato. Hecate looked over to Shana, concern lacing her soft voice.

"Shana, did you find Hirai-kun?"

Shana had indeed found Yuji. She had been sitting on his face the whole time. The hapless Flame Haze, not surprisingly, was having trouble breathing, being unable to surface due to the female Mystes sitting on him.

"Bllrbrblrlbrgh..."

The entire pool shook with Shana's furious shriek.

"...PERRRVERRRRRT...!!!"

* * *

Shana and Yuji bowed to Khamsin and the others as they exited the waterpark. Yuji sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head.

"I must thank all of you for bringing me along. This is the first time I've been to such a place... I had a lot of fun."

Tiriel nodded as she occasionally turned to lock lips with her sibling.

"Anytime."

Sorath was too busy engaged in sucking face to speak.

Khamsin nodded, turning slightly red as he spoke.

"I think I need to thank you as well, in a way. Indirectly, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had such an... _interesting_ summer memory."

Hecate bowed in return.

"There's no real need to thank us, Hirai-kun. You're our classmate. Besides, I had a lot of fun being with you as well. I got to spend some time with you, after all."

"Hahaha..."

Hecate reached over and gently tugged on a sleeve of Yuji's shirt.

"Well... I'll see you at school."

Yuji blushed slightly and nodded.

"All right..."

Shana scowled as she grabbed Yuji by the wrist and began to drag him away.

"Yeah, yeah... come on, Yuji."

Out of earshot of the others, Shana grumped to the Flame Haze in annoyance.

"What're you doing, being so friendly with _Miss Convent_, idiot?"

Yuji blinked in mild bewilderment, then smiled placatingly.

"Why not? I had fun today with her... and you as well. Shana, thank you for forcing me to come along. I really did have a lot of fun."

Shana blushed slightly.

"Hmph! Don't get any funny ideas, you idiotic pervert stalker! Besides, Wilhelmina's waiting for us. You'll need to take a bath when we get home."

Yuji's face turned as white as a bedsheet.

* * *

Margery yawned as she reached her house.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it, kid?"

Keisaku frowned but said nothing as he abruptly jerked his neck around to straighten out an uncomfortable kink. Margery stared at him for a long moment... then winked as she opened the front door and began to walk inside.

"Don't tell me you're still feeling uncomfortable over what happened this afternoon."

The Chanter of Elegies snorted as he followed her inside.

"Hmph. Don't say such stupid things."

Marcosius sighed then began to angrily berate his Flame Haze.

"Ehhhh... I missed a good show. You're so cruel, my heartless battle-beast, Keisaku Satou! Hmph! Honestly, stuffing me into that dark, stinky, cramped changing-room locker when I should've been ogling all those hot babes this afternoon. You've got no feelings for your partner!"

Keisaku gently chucked the Grimoire with a fist and quietly muttered a rebuke as he watched Margery walk up the stairs.

"...Shut up, stupid Marco."

* * *

"Well... that was definitely the odd jaunt. Do you think you crammed enough literary fanservice in?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"More than I usually write, I suppose. I just hope that the readers are satisfied with this much. In any event, things seem stable enough."

"Psh. Yeah. Famous last words."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	10. Chapter 1010: Unraveled Feelings

**CapoExecutor: **Thanks. I hope I didn't go over-the-top with the fanservice parts. I actually didn't introduce Bel Peol as the principal until Chapter 9. I figured I might as well bring her up now to remove any questions in the readers' minds as to where Bel Peol landed. Unfortunately, I've never seen the OVA, which stinks for me. Know where I might be able to find a streaming version of it?

**ColinatorGX: **Thank you. As to whom the Writer of Questionable Stories is conversing with... For now, that's a secret. *Grins* As for Behemoth's contractor... I'm still trying to figure that one out... Merihim will definitely be someone to look out for in this version of events, but he won't show up until later. Much, much later.

**Timeless Echolocation: **Thank you. Yes, Wilhelmina can still be very scary, even if she's not a Flame Haze here. Chigusa as the Specialist of Everything? Haha, we can only wait and see what will happen.

**JohnPeacekeeper: **You read that chapter twice? I'm flattered. As for Wilhelmina, she's probably more accepting of Yuji since she doesn't have her huge overbearing duties as a Flame Haze getting in the way. But you can be sure that if Yuji ever does something to hurt Shana... she won't hesitate to come after him with the kitchen knife. Yes, Khamsin here would definitely have a boy's mentality of girls. I came up with those new designs partly because I was a little... disatisfied with how they looked in the anime. As far as getting some artwork of their swimsuits in that chapter... Hmm... *Rubs chin in some thought* Well, we'll see... *Grins*

**Isekaijin:** Thanks. I will definitely try and finish this one to the end. Yes, this story IS random. It is a parody, after all. XD

* * *

"Huh. Well, that's odd."

The Writer of Questionable Stories looked up from a block of text he'd been in the middle of furiously editing.

"...What is?"

"I'm tracking a curious anomaly in the final section of this document. It looks like another role reversal... and it looks seriously skewed."

The Writer of Questionable Stories slammed the laptop shut and grumbled.

"Just when I thought I'd finally get a break... So who is it this time?"

"Tomboy and squinty-eyes."

"...Damn."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 1010: Unraveled Feelings**

* * *

_Summer's still here. That absolutely embarrassing day at Misaki Waterland is now little more than an unpleasant memory... although I guess not ALL of it was completely bad. It did have its fun moments._

_Watching that idiotic pervert stalker Yuji frolic around in the water like that was an interesting sight. Seeing him swim and splash that day, most people would never have guessed that such a clueless guy would be an agent responsible for the balance between two worlds._

_I don't have that luxury of ignorant bliss. After all, I'm dead. Yuji's constant presence next to me every single day slams that reminder home like an existential bullet._

* * *

"All right, start!"

"Hi-yaaaaah...!!"

With a yell of mock fury, Shana rushed Yuji with an arcing lunge. The wooden training stick in the young Mystes' hand traced a curving line in the air as it came down towards the Flame Haze standing in front of her.

Yuji sidestepped the blow, promptly delivering a vertical counterlunge with his own training stick.

**KLAK!**

Shana parried and somersaulted backwards, regaining her footing even as she rolled out of Yuji's reach. Leaping back into her fighting stance, Shana then rushed forwards once more.

**KLAK! KLAK! KLAK!**

Yuji smiled in good-natured amusement as he then countered with a sudden flurry of blows. Shana was hard-pressed to dodge and parry the rapid series of attacks, but somehow, she managed. With a final backwards leap, Shana landed lightly on her feet as she brought her training stick back up in the guard position.

Still smiling, Yuji lowered his training stick and nodded.

"Good one. I think that'll be it for today. That was a good practice spar."

Shana nodded back and shouldered her own practice weapon.

"Of course. You're not bad either, even though I think you take it too casually during a fight. Where'd you learn how to fight like that anyway?"

Yuji just continued to give off that enigmatic grin as he sat down on the apartment rooftop.

"That's a secret."

Alastor merely grunted in agreement with his Flame Haze's statement. Shana pouted and looked away in mild disgust.

"Hmph. Idiot."

Suddenly, the voice of Wilhelmina intruded upon the two. Shana's guardian was ascending the stairs. In her hands were a pair of water bottles.

"Truly, is it all right if I come up here?"

Yuji smiled and nodded over to the magenta-haired woman.

"Of course."

Nodding back, Wilhelmina tossed a water bottle to both Shana and Yuji. Yuji nodded his thanks and then began to drink. Still frowning, Shana opened her bottle a moment later as she headed over to the stairs. Yuji looked up from his drink.

"...Shana? Where are you going?"

"Nothing important, you idiot stalker. Just going downstairs to take a bath. I don't intend to go to school all sweaty like this, you know..."

With that, Shana left, leaving Yuji and Wilhelmina standing alone on the roof. Wilhelmina silently regarded the boy standing in front of her for a long moment before she spoke.

"...Truly, were you two practicing?"

Yuji smiled as he replied.

"Ah, well... Shana wanted to work on some of her moves. Since I'm... also a bit of a martial artist, she requested that I spar with her regularly in the early morning. She's pretty good."

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, that would be so. After all, this one taught her in regards to her skills."

Yuji's smile widened.

"Ah, is that so? My compliments to the teacher. Shana's quite talented."

"Truly, this one thanks you."

After another moment of silence, Wilhelmina looked back over to Yuji.

"Truly... now, this one can confidently say that you are the first real friend that Shana has made ever since she came to this city."

Yuji looked up and blinked in mild surprise.

"R-really?"

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, that is so. That is perhaps the biggest reason why this one is willing to accept your presence next to her. Truly, this one requests that you promise to continue to watch over her, in spite of her abruptness and lack of tact."

Yuji, not quite grasping the true extent of what Shana's guardian was implying, simply nodded indistinctly and looked back up at the morning sky.

"...I promise."

* * *

Sydonay groaned as he looked over his paperwork on the desk in front of him. Nearby, Bel Peol, the principal of Misaki High, glanced up in puzzlement from her own pile of papers.

"...You're in an awfully dour mood lately. Don't tell me you're feeling bad about refusing to tip the waiter at that restaurant last week after he took away your cigarette."

The gym teacher shook his head as he looked up at the principal, dressed in a dark business jacket and miniskirt.

"It's not that... It's... it's about Hecate."

Bel Peol grinned.

"Don't tell me... did that little Lolita of prayers coldly turn you down after you suddenly worked up all of your courage to confess your feelings to her?"

Sydonay grimaced.

"That's not it! Besides, I don't view her that way. I just... I'm fond of her, you know? Anyway... it seems like she's been awfully cheerful for the past few weeks. She doesn't pray as much, and she smiled! She smiled, TWICE in my gym class!"

Bel Peol raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Sydonay snorted.

"Normally, yes... but I think her current little bout of smiles is due to..."

Bel Peol's grin returned as she crossed her arms and appraised the gym teacher sitting in front of her.

"Ohhh... I see. It seems that your favorite student's suddenly gone and fallen for a boy."

The gym teacher sighed as he nodded heavily.

"That's exactly it."

Bel Peol rolled her eyes as she began to return her attention to her paperwork.

"...If you ask me, I think it's the best thing to happen to her. She's always been so listless for a student. And if you're really her teacher, you should be rejoicing that she's suddenly found a reason to smile and be cheerful."

Sydonay simply settled for a grumble.

"...Yuji Hirai... Mrgrbrgh..."

* * *

Shana shook the water out of her hair as she stepped out of the showers in the girls' changing room. Tiriel, who had just changed back into her uniform, smirked in greeting.

"Ah, if it isn't our dear little Shana-tan. And how is your handsome 'stalker' doing?"

Shana scowled at Sorath's other half.

"He's just fine. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. I just noticed that he seems to be awfully close to you so often. Quite like Sorath and I."

Hecate, standing nearby and in the process of changing, looked up with an expression of mild bemusement. Shana turned bright red as a stray image of her frenching Yuji sprang up in her mind. She then quickly and furiously shook her head to clear out the offending mental picture as she advanced angrily on Tiriel.

"Yuji and I are NOT like that! NOT AT ALL!"

Preoccupied with her vehement denial, Shana completely failed to notice the bar of soap that was lying on the floor in front of her. Not surprisingly, Murphy's Law took hold a moment later.

Shana slipped and fell.

"Kyaaaaa...!!!"

**THUD!**

Groaning as she struggled to regain her lost footing, Shana suddenly heard a voice yell in alarm. It was a familiar voice.

"Shana! Are you all right!?"

Looking up, still crimson-faced, Shana found herself staring at Yuji, who had apparently rushed into the girls' changing room upon hearing her shriek. Seeing the intense look of concern, worry, and anxiety on his face, it took her brain a brief, belated moment to register the fact that she was still stark naked. Tiriel giggled.

"My oh my... Boys these days... So naughty!"

Hecate simply blinked.

"...Hirai-kun."

At that, Yuji's eyes suddenly took in the room that he was standing in... and his face flushed crimson as he realized the circumstances he was currently in... and the view that was in front of him.

* * *

Bel Peol paused and looked up from her paperwork, a mild look of puzzlement on her face.

"...An earthquake?"

After a moment's pause, the principal of Misaki High shrugged and turned her attention back to the papers on her desk.

* * *

Khamsin looked up from his lunch at Shana as she angrily tore at her bun of melon bread.

"...Hmm? That's odd... Where's Hirai-kun?"

Hecate nodded.

"That's right. I haven't seen him since that incident in the locker room this morning."

Khamsin blinked.

"I didn't hear anything about this-"

Shana snorted, interrupting Khamsin's remark.

"Hmph. I don't even want to think about that clueless idiot right now! Geez, seriously..."

At that moment, Yuji walked into the classroom, holding his lunch of riceballs. He was still sporting a black eye and some bruises. Seeing Shana sitting nearby, his face brightened.

"Ah, Shana! Sorry about this morning. Can I-"

Shana simply looked away angrily and refused to speak to the hapless Flame Haze. Taken aback by her refusal to speak to him, Yuji looked over at Shana with a downcast expression on his face.

"Shana, look, I apologize. If it's about the fact that I saw you na-"

Yuji's words were cut off as he found himself staring at the blade of Shana's katana, poised just over his throat. Shana's outstretched swordhand was visibly trembling.

"Go away. NOW. I... I don't want to speak to you, I... I DON'T EVEN WANT TO SEE YOU!"

"But Shana... I was just-"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! GO AWAY!"

Looking visibly hurt and confused, Yuji quickly picked up his lunch without another word and left the classroom. Khamsin watched his classmate leave and raised an eyebrow. He turned to Shana.

"Well... that's definitely not a normal reaction. What happened?"

Shana chewed angrily on her melon bread.

"None of your business."

Khamsin kept his eyebrow raised, but said nothing more.

Hecate stared at Shana for a long moment, then got to her feet and walked out of the classroom as well.

* * *

Yuji stared up at the clouds in the noontime sky as he half-heartedly chewed on his riceball.

"Shana's really mad at me today. Why...?"

Alastor's voice quietly edged in.

"It's only a guess on my part, but I would imagine that you gave her quite an embarrassment when you thoughtlessly rushed into the changing room this morning."

"But..."

Suddenly, another voice broke in.

"...Hirai-kun..."

Looking over his shoulder, Yuji found himself staring at Hecate, standing near the rooftop doorway. After a moment's silence, the young teal-haired girl walked over.

"I thought I might find you here."

"Hecate-san..."

Yuji looked away sadly.

"Is there something you wanted?"

Hecate sat down next to him and resumed eating her lunch as she spoke.

"It seemed like you could use some company."

Yuji sighed.

"Ah, that's right, I haven't apologized to you either, yet. Sorry if I bothered you this morning."

Hecate shook her head.

"It's not really your fault. You only came into the changing room because you were concerned with Shana's well-being, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

Hecate smiled slightly.

"In truth... I feel somewhat... envious."

Yuji blinked.

"Why's that?"

Hecate was quiet for a long moment, giving Yuji a sidelong glance before resuming the conversation.

"...Just because..."

* * *

As Khamsin finished with his lunch, he looked back over to Shana.

"Young lady."

Shana looked up in irritation from her melon bread.

"...What do you want?"

"I think you should apologize to Hirai-kun. I don't know exactly what transpired between you two this morning, but I do know that it doesn't help to hold such a grudge against him."

Shana grumbled angrily as she got up from her desk and turned to leave.

"I know, I know, you meddling geezer! Geez, I'm not an idiot... Fine, I'll go and apologize to him..."

* * *

"...So that's how it is, right?"

Hecate nodded.

"That's how it is."

Yuji smiled.

"Thank you, Hecate-san. I feel a lot better now... and a little relieved. If what you say is true, then it shouldn't be too hard to apologize to Shana now."

Hecate nodded. As Yuji got to his feet, she spoke again.

"Don't be a stranger, Hirai-kun."

Smiling, Yuji nodded again as he walked back over to the rooftop entrance. As he walked inside, however, a hard voice stopped him in his tracks.

"...So, you were talking with _Miss Convent_, were you?"

Looking over into the shadows of the stairwell landing, Yuji found himself staring at Shana. Her arms were crossed, and she had a glare on her face that had enough intensity in it to strip paint. Yuji frowned.

"You shouldn't call her that, Shana. She has a name too, you know."

Shana snorted in contempt. For some reason, the idea of Yuji jumping to Hecate's defense irked her.

"Hmph. As if an idiotic pervert stalker of a Flame Haze like you can talk. Who was it that made all that talk about Flame Hazes not having names?"

Yuji's frown deepened.

"Shana..."

The female Mystes gave no pause to her remarks, however.

"Honestly, why did I even bother to find you? Go back and talk to _Miss Convent _some more, since you seemed to enjoy it so much...!"

"Shana, why does it bother you so much when I talk to Hecate-san!?"

"It... it's not right!"

"Why isn't it!?"

"It... It just isn't!"

Yuji's frown took on a slightly perplexed tilt.

"What sort of reason is that...!?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP! A-anyways, if that's the way you're going to be, don't follow me around anymore, idiot!"

"Shana, if it was about the incident this morning, I just came in because I heard your screaming. I thought-"

The female Mystes angrily whirled on the hapless Flame Haze.

"And that gives you an excuse to get a peek at me unclothed!? You were probably having fun watching _Miss Convent _in a state of undress as well! Your cluelessness is driving me up the wall, so let me make this clear! Stop following me all over the place! QUIT STALKING ME!"

Yuji's face tightened as her words hit. After a moment of silence, the Flame Haze quietly spoke.

"...Is that really want you want?"

In the back of Shana's mind, a small voice seemed to whisper to her that she might have taken her words a bit too far. However, the Mystes' injured and embarrassed feminine pride was still holding precedence.

"Are you deaf _and_ stupid, you clueless idiot!? Go and bother someone else! Go bother _Miss Convent _for a change! Stupid pervert stalker!"

"..."

Looking as though he'd been gut-punched, Yuji began to slowly walk away, stiff-legged. After a moment, he turned and looked back over his shoulder at Shana.

"I know that I'm stupid. You've made it clear before. You don't have to repeat it to me so much..."

Turning away, Yuji wordlessly headed downstairs.

* * *

_The next evening..._

Wilhelmina looked up from her ramen cup.

"Truly, is something the matter? You did not come home with that young man. He also did not come this morning to train with you."

Shana's eyes narrowed, staring down at her own cup of noodles without taking a single bite.

"It's nothing... Everything's fine."

* * *

An upraised, flabby hand of sickly grey. A Seal circle. And familiar shades of crimson fell upon the streets.

* * *

Yuji looked up in alarm, roused from his solitary musings.

"Alastor!"

"Mmm. I felt it as well."

The Flame Haze quickly got to his feet and prepared to move when Alastor spoke again.

"...Wait, are you simply going to go after it without waiting for her?"

Yuji's voice was deadpan in reply as he leaped off the rooftop.

"It's all right. She won't come, after all. She doesn't want me to be hanging around her..."

* * *

Keisaku narrowed his eyes as he stared off in the direction of the disturbance.

"Hmph. You feel it, Marcosius?"

"Yep. Such a sloppy Seal, too. Feels like a Rinne gone wild. Aren't you going to go after it?"

Keisaku slumped against the balcony railing.

"I could... but no poems, no stanzas come to mind."

Marcosius snorted.

"Hmph. Eh, eh, eh... You really are in bad shape."

Keisaku nodded slowly.

"Mhmm. This is what your gloriously ugly tankard's come down to, now."

At that moment, the Chanter of Elegies noticed a figure leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Keisaku smiled sardonically as he softly spoke.

"Well, it seems like someone else has a lid on the situation anyway. Just let that kid handle it..."

Yawning, Keisaku walked back inside to take a nap.

* * *

Shana abruptly turned, looking out the kitchen window with a measure of alarm as she felt the Seal activate. Wilhelmina looked up from her ramen.

"Truly, something seems to be the matter with you this evening."

Shana turned back around.

"N-nothing. I just thought... of something."

Wilhelmina slurped some noodles as she spoke.

"Truly, what would it be?"

"I... I'd expected a friend of mine to come here, but nobody came. I..."

Wilhelmina looked up at Shana intently.

"Did you say something that made that friend feel unwelcome?"

Shana said nothing as she looked down at her own cup of ramen. After a moment's silence, Wilhelmina put down her chopsticks and looked out the window.

"...Truly, it is not easy to be with another person. But... truly, a good friend is not an easy thing to find in this world. It is all the more necessary to hold tightly to those friends you have."

Wilhelmina smiled vaguely.

"Truly, this one should scold that young man for failing to keep his promise to watch over you..."

Shana looked up from her noodles, her face blushing for all it was worth.

"W-Wilhelmina! I never said it had anything to do with Yuji..."

Wilhelmina continued to give Shana her vague smile.

"...Truly, is this one mistaken? But he is the only one who comes to mind when you mentioned a friend."

Shana was silent for a long moment. Then there was a sudden scraping of chair legs on the wooden floor of the apartment kitchen. Looking back over, Wilhelmina watched Shana quickly get up from her seat and nod politely.

"Thank you for the food. I need to be somewhere right now. I'll be back soon."

Wilhelmina nodded in return.

"Truly, hurry back."

* * *

Yuji landed in the middle of the Seal, looking over the huge, massive bulk of lard that was slowly waddling over from one victim to the next, sucking out and chewing on their Power of Existence.

"Well... it's definitely a Rinne. It looks like it lost its Denizen master."

Alastor murmured in agreement.

"Indeed. And yet, it still uselessly struggles to retain its existence by preying off humans. Not that it makes a shred of difference to its overall fate. It'll disappear regardless of how much Power of Existence it takes in... After all, it can't use any of the essence it draws into itself."

Yuji nodded as he stretched out a hand and launched a single fireball at the Rinne's arm.

**FWOOSH!**

Screaming, the obese Rinne looked up in a mixture of astonishment, pain, agony, and fear as it noticed the Flame Haze walk in on the middle of its desperate meal.

"Ah! Y-you... Flame Haze! Tool of Destruction that took my Master from me...!! STAY AWAY!"

Yuji slowly walked forwards, burning off its legs with a wave of flame as it tried to waddle over to its next victim. Falling over into a clumsy, ponderous heap, the Rinne continued to struggle, flailing its remaining arm as it tried to drag itself over to another human.

"N-no...! My Power of Existence... I... I won't disappear! I WON'T...!!"

Yuji gave the Rinne a clinical lookover.

"It's quite... persistent. It's still alive, even with most of its limbs gone."

Alastor gave reply.

"Mmm. Most likely, the Rinne's actual core is quite small. Just make sure it can't reach any more humans!"

"Right."

Yuji reached out again. The Rinne's torso and remaining arm flared away in a blast of flames. There was a scream as the Rinne's head was left lying on the asphalt.

"NO! S-STOP! MY EXISTENCE! STOP TAKING MY EXISTENCE...!!"

Yuji snapped his fingers. Another flare of fire burned away half of the Rinne's head. The Flame Haze looked down at the Rinne without any expression on his face whatsoever.

"...I'm sorry about this. But what you're doing is useless. It's a waste. Stop it."

"NO! I EXIST! I WON'T DISAPPEAR! I WON'T-"

Another gust of flame. What was left of the Rinne's head scorched into a pile of ashes, revealing a pitiful, crawling thing that looked like a pile of worms and mold. It reached out with a tendril, attempting to latch onto another nearby victim.

"MY EXISTENCE! I EXIST! I...!!"

A final burst of scorching heat and flame, and the whole thing was over. Yuji exhaled and heavily sat down onto the pavement with little ceremony.

* * *

Shana dashed into the crimson shades of the Sealed area, looking about. Everything looked undisturbed.

_I guess Yuji handled it just fine on his own. I... I guess he didn't want or need me after all..._

Shana slumped down onto the sidewalk, despair trickling into her mind.

_Yuji... I guess he doesn't want to see or talk to me now. I'm not surprised, with what I said to him yesterday..._

A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Shana? Why are you here?"

Looking up, Shana found Yuji staring down at her. The young Mystes quickly sprang to her feet.

"...Y-Yuji!"

The Flame Haze had a bewildered look on his face.

"Shana? I thought you didn't want me following you anymore. Then why are you-"

Shana froze, her eyes wide as her mind recalled the words she'd spoken to him the day before.

_"...Stop following me all over the place! QUIT STALKING ME!"_

Shana looked down at her feet.

_Yuji..._

Taking a deep breath, Shana quickly yelled out into the timeless, crimson silence of the Seal.

**"...IDIOT...!!!"**

Yuji blinked.

"H-huh?"

"I didn't mean what I said yesterday, you stupid idiot! I was just... I was just upset! And I... Yuji, I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I pushed you away!"

Shana angrily wiped at her face in an attempt to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. Breathless, she nonetheless rushed on with her words, her tone rising as she rambled on with her best attempt at an apology.

"I... Don't leave me alone! Yuji, don't stop following me, don't stop annoying me! I can't stand it when you're always around me, driving me crazy all the time... but I also can't stand the idea of you not being here next to me! It hurts... It hurts so much when you're not here next to me! S-so... just be a stalker! A clueless, idiotic _stalker!"_

Yuji stared at Shana as she got to her feet and leaned her head into the shirtfront of his gakuran.

"Shana..."

But then, his confusion melted away into a warm, brilliant smile as he grabbed Shana into a hug. His voice was curiously rough when he finally spoke.

"...I... I will. I'll always be around to drive you crazy... Shana."

Shana sniffed.

"Clueless idiot..."

Around them, the crimson shades of the now-receding Seal faded away into normalcy.

* * *

A trio of unlucky thugs vanished into shreds of azure flame. Footsteps pattered through the alleyway.

"There you are! Idiot, what are you doing, running off like that!?"

Squinted eyes stared over.

"S-sorry... I was just... I just wanted to..."

"Seriously, you're always making me worry all the time! Always making me wondering where you've gone, where you've gone off to..."

Maroon hair waved in the breeze.

"Sorry, Ogata."

"And quit saying 'Sorry' all the time, stupid Tanaka! It only makes me worry about you all the more!"

"...Sorry."

"GAH!"

Above the two, a figure of juvenile features and dark hair looked down upon them through oval eyeglasses and sighed.

"Honestly... those two... Why did they need to ask me to come along? Psh. What a complete waste of time..."

* * *

"So, it's those two, eh?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories nodded and held back the urge to groan.

"Yes... Gah, what a headache. As if my job weren't hard enough with all the displacements I have to monitor and attempt to fix..."

"Well... you know what they say... enduring adversity leads to enjoying prosperity."

"...Screw you."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	11. Chapter 111: Shana, Yuji, and Frenching?

**Writer's Note to the Readers:** For the next few chapters, I will be drawing up and posting some swimsuit fanart onto my profile to correspond with "Chapter 69: The Poolside of Confusion and Envy" of this fanfic. I've already finished Shana's piece, so you can go see the artwork I've done for her on my profile page. Hecate will most likely show up with Chapter 12, and Margery Daw will hopefully show up with Chapter 13.

* * *

**CapoExecutor:** I went and looked up the OVA. Hilarious stuff! Yaoi fanwriters would have a field day with it. And yes, the eventual confrontation to come should be quite interesting.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Yes, it would be rather odd to conceive of Keisaku facing off against Eita. They're such good buddies in reality. As for imagining Bel Peol without her third eye... Now that you mention it, it IS kinda hard to do so. I prefer just to see her face as it should be, but with her still dressed in normal business clothing. In regards to Yuji's method of killing the Rinne, were you referring to his finger-snapping? Hmm... Ike taking up two slots in the Trinity? Odd, but it IS doable... I might seriously consider that.

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Thank you. And no, Ike's taken Sydonay's place in this turn of events. As for the identity of the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment in this course of time... *grins* That's a secret.

**ColinatorGX:** Thanks. And I thought I'd made it pretty obvious, but I think it's safe to say now that their bodyguard is Ike, of course. Yeah, Bel Peol acting more like a normal human is rather weird to think of. Sydonay now has his hands quite full...

**yumichan808:** Yeh, weird, no?

* * *

"...Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six..."

The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he finished up another section of paragraphs that required stabilizing. Then came the bad news.

"Uh, you're not going to believe this, but..."

"What? What now?"

"We have a peculiar little distortion in regards to the next chapter."

The Writer of Questionable Stories blinked fearfully.

"Wait, you don't mean..."

"Yep. It's the kissing stuff. But the displacement's made it even worse..."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 111: Shana, Yuji, and... Frenching?**

* * *

"...All right, Shana, take it nice and slow. Send out your Power of Existence into my hand, slowly..."

"Understoood."

Closing his eyes, Yuji felt the flow of energy coming from Shana's hand, tightly grasped in his own. After another moment's concentration, the Flame Haze then tightened his grasp as he focused.

**FWOOSH!**

Wings of fire flared outwards from Yuji's back, flapping momentarily and sending feathers of flame scattering down from the apartment rooftop. Shana couldn't help but look up at Yuji as his facial features cast themselves into intense concentration.

Alastor's voice broke in from the Cocytus.

"...Well, that's interesting. It seems that you're able to form your wings of fire with greater ease than before."

Yuji nodded.

"Seems so."

Yuji then stretched a hand up into the air. A pillar of fire then promptly flared upwards into the night sky, scattering into glowing cinders and ashes as it reached towards the full moon above. Even as he continued to perform his own form of pyrotechnics, however, there was an abrupt flurry of electronic beeps.

Shana pulled the stopwatch out of her woolen sweatshirt and pressed a button, silencing the alarm as she looked back up at Yuji.

"It's midnight."

Yuji nodded and smiled as he withdrew his hand and snapped his fingers, causing his fireworks and wings of flame to dissipate and vanish in a matter of moments with little ceremony. Shana's eyes then widened as she felt newfound energy suddenly surge through her.

The thin spark within her flared into a newfound blaze, replenished by the power of the Midnight Lost Child. Shana inhaled deeply as she placed a hand over her chest.

"The Midnight Lost Child, huh... it's quite something, knowing that there's still a future ahead."

Yuji smiled and nodded again.

"Quite something, all right."

Suddenly, Shana heard a distinct rumble come from the depths of her stomach. Blushing slightly, she looked up at the Flame Haze standing next to her.

"Hey, Yuji..."

"Hmm?"

"Want to have a snack?"

* * *

**"...Satoshi!"**

Yuji sat at the kitchen table, slurping down a cup of instant noodles as he watched the TV screen in rapt fascination. Shana sat on the floor, scarfing down a bag of crisps. As the two continued to watch, the Flame Haze pointed at the screen with his chopsticks.

"What exactly is this?"

"...I think it's a rerun of a lukewarm drama."

"A drama? You mean like a piece of fiction?"

"That's right. Not exactly the ideal of what you Flame Hazes might think of as intellectually stimulating material. Getting bored?"

Yuji shook his head as he continued to watch.

"No, it's... quite fascinating actually. Normally, I'd never pause long enough to watch something like this."

The female protagonist had now reached her target; her male counterpart. With a sudden rush of steps, she was suddenly standing right in front of him. She bent forwards to kiss him...

**"...Waaaaaait! Shouldn't we take this a bit slowly!?"**

The female lead sighed and turned away.

Shana grumbled as she stuffed another crisp into her mouth.

"What sort of idiot guy turns down a girl when she wants to kiss him, for crying out loud!? The producer or screenwriter of this piece of garbage should be taken outside and shot..."

Yuji looked over to Shana in mild puzzlement.

"Why so angry? It's just a piece of fiction."

"W-well, it's just... if a girl wants to be kissed by a guy, then it's not exactly a nice thing to just leave her hanging or reject her, especially if the guy likes her back. Honestly, no girl likes a lukewarm guy who just muddles around!"

Yuji glanced back over to the TV screen, a look of puzzled contemplation on his face as the shot faded to black, indicating that the series was yet to be concluded.

"Really? Huh, I never knew that... I wonder how I should handle that sort of situation then. So... if a girl comes up to me and wants to kiss me, should I kiss her back?"

Shana suddenly felt her cheeks turn red. She was only too glad that the lights weren't on, thus obscuring her face from clear view.

"W-what sort of nonsense are you spewing now, you pervert stalker...!"

"Huh? But Shana, I was just stating something that corresponded to the observations you just made-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut _up!_"

Busily engaged in another heated conversation, the two failed to notice the peculiar glint that seemed to be emanating from Alastor's Cocytus.

* * *

"Hey, Tanaka... where the heck are we supposed to be going, anyway?"

A maroon-haired, tomboyish girl decked out in fashionable street clothes crossed her arms as she stared up at the boy standing next to her. Tanaka Eita, his squinted eyes betraying a hint of uncertainty, stared back as he scratched at the back of his scruffy ash-dark hair. His clothing leaned towards the athletic slant, but was heavily rumpled.

"Y-you'll see, Oga-chan..."

Ogata sighed.

"You idiot... What sort of crazy scheme have you got squirming in that thing you call a brain_ this _time?!"

Behind them, another young boy, sporting ruffled dark hair and oval eyeglasses, snorted.

"Hey, will you two stop with the 'Newlyweds' act? You're starting to make everyone stare..."

Indeed, quite a few nearby pedestrians were looking over in their direction, bearing various degrees of curiosity, sympathy, amusement, or annoyance at the noise emanating from the conversation.

Matake Ogata snorted as she looked Hayato Ike up and down.

"A lot of good talk coming from you, Ike-kun. We hired you to protect us, not give us the lip every half-minute. If you don't like listening to us, then get a pair of earplugs."

Suddenly, Eita stopped at a street corner.

"All right, this is it... I think."

Ogata exhaled in exasperation.

"I don't even think you know what you're doing..."

Despite her complaint, however, the maroon-haired girl quickly reached into a pocket and pulled out a small electronic device. Ike raised an eyebrow as he looked over at the object in Ogata's hand.

"Well... the 'One Engulfed in Doubting Others' is certainly one to keep up with the times."

Ogata shrugged.

"Well, I didn't quite care for the floral motif on the music box, so I had it changed into an MP3 player. Besides, it just looks nicer this way."

With that, the female Denizen hooked up a pair of earphones into the Treasure and pushed the "Play/Pause" button. Immediately, the entire area flashed with shades of sickly yellow. Time stopped, freezing every nearby human pedestrian and object in its tracks.

Hayato looked around.

"Impressive. He's setting up a trap of some sort, I assume?"

The One Engulfed in Doubting Others looked over to her counterpart. Eita reached out and leeched away a nearby salaryman, draining away his Power of Existence.

"That's what stupid Tanaka SAYS he's doing. Frankly, I think he's just trying to come up with some sort of dumb excuse to make himself look cool in front of me."

Ogata snorted and muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she watched Tanaka continue to absorb the temporal essence of the hapless salaryman.

"Idiot..."

Ike shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know... it seems as if the 'One Engulfed in Self-Doubt' does have his moments, at times."

The female Denizen slowly nodded, reluctantly.

"Well... true enough. But he's always running off and doing something stupid... and he's always trying to do it to impress me. Wasting all this time, when we could be accomplishing something more meaningful by just gathering Power of Existence."

"So what, or who, is he trying to catch with those traps anyway?"

Ogata shrugged.

"The one who forged a contract with the 'Flame of Heaven', apparently. For some reason, stupid Tanaka's been really intent on finding this guy for awhile now. I have to admit, this is the first time I've seen him so engrossed in something like this. Before, it was all kinda half-assed."

The One Engulfed in Self-Doubt looked over to Ogata as he finished absorbing his victim's Power of Existence. Standing where the salaryman had once been was now his Torch. Eita nodded as he spoke.

"We're finished here, Oga-chan... I think."

Matake sighed and grumbled as she walked over to her Denizen counterpart. Even as she walked over, she pushed the "Play/Pause" button on her MP3 player once more. Immediately, the sickly shades of yellow faded back into the temperate hues of daylight. Time resumed its flow once more.

"Beh... fine, fine. Just hurry this up. I'm getting hungry."

* * *

The clouds hanging in the overcast sky darkened to shades of grey. Yuji looked up.

"Huh... looks like it might rain."

**THUD!**

"Aaaatatataa..."

With a groan, the Flame Haze struggled back to his feet, wincing as he rubbed at his waist where the rubber ball had connected. Still massaging his back, Yuji muttered under his breath as he walked over to the sidelines.

"I still don't understand this human sport of 'Dodgeball'..."

Shana watched him sit down nearby. The Mystes raised an eyebrow.

_I thought a Flame Haze like Yuji would be good at athletics. Then why is he getting knocked out in the first ten seconds of the first round...?_

Shana's eyes abruptly narrowed however, when she noticed Hecate walk over and join Yuji, sitting next to him as she began to rub at Yuji's waist with a questing hand.

"...Are you all right, Hirai-kun?"

Yuji looked up at Hecate and smiled in mild embarrassment as he nodded.

"Y-yeah..."

Shana felt a sudden urge to throttle the teal-haired girl with her own two hands. Her thoughts, however, were cut off in an instant as she felt something impact with her hindquarters.

Glancing down, Shana found herself staring at the ball that had hit her in the butt. Not too far away, Sorath was jumping up and down, cheering wildly.

"Yeaaaah! I got her!"

Tiriel was clapping her hands nearby in admiring praise.

"Well done, brother!"

Without another word, Shana bent down, picked up the ball in her hands. She threw the ball one-handed in Sorath's direction. Flying and whirling like some sort of leaden missile, the ball spiraled towards the young boy.

Grinning, Sorath reached out with both hands...

**THUD!**

...and promptly collapsed into a limp heap as the ball decked Sorath in the nuts.

"Aaaaagh...!!"

Clutching at his family jewels, Sorath writhed on the asphalt as Tiriel rushed over in anxious concern.

"...Brother...!! Are you all right!? Speak to me!!"

The rest of the class simply looked on in silent astonishment. Shana glanced over to Yuji and Hecate for a brief moment, then turned away. Yuji was about to open his mouth to speak when he suddenly felt something wet spatter onto his shirt.

Sydonay, standing nearby, blew on his whistle to call an end to the dodgeball game.

"Everybody inside! I'm calling the rest of the period off due to rain. Khamsin, get Sorath a bag of ice for his injured manhood, will you?"

* * *

"Well, it's a good thing that the game got called off. It's starting to come down quite a bit now."

"Yeah, well... Can you imagine? If that game had gone on any further..."

Shana looked over at Sorath's prone form. The unfortunate kid was squeaking his words in a raspy soprano as he clutched at his injured crotch with an ice pack.

"...Mon... ster... she... monster...!!"

Tiriel, changed back into her normal school uniform, was sitting next to him. An expression fraught with anxiety and concern was on her face.

"Brother...!"

Hecate, who had also been sitting next to Sorath, blinked without expression and got to her feet. After a moment's consideration, she then walked over to Shana.

Shana scowled as she watched Hecate approach.

"...Well, what do you want, _Miss Convent_?"

Hecate tonelessly gave reply.

"A simple question: What is your relationship with Hirai-kun?"

Shana's eyes widened, momentarily taken aback. It took her the space of a full minute to find her voice to give back a proper reply.

"N... n... Nothing! There's nothing between us!"

Hecate's eyes narrowed slightly as she then turned and began to leave.

"Is that really so? Well... I'm not going to press the issue this time."

Shana wasn't sure, but it sounded to her as if Hecate had been sighing as she left. The only odd thing was... the young Mystes wasn't sure whether the tone in that sigh had been one of relief or exasperation.

* * *

Yuji hummed contentedly as he shampooed his hair and then rinsed it off in the running shower. Although the Flame Haze had come to fear baths, showers were somehow pleasing. As he continued to wash, however, distant voices from other guys in the showers echoed off the walls.

"Hey, hey, is that true?"

"Yeah, I finally got to kiss her yesterday!"

There was a howling hoot of triumph.

"Amazing! I feel great for ya, man! But hey, just... don't rush it too much, all right?"

"I know, I know... 'Sides, she's precious to me. I don't wanna make things quick and just leave..."

"Yeah, but then... one day, eeeeeh?"

"Yeah! One day in the future, we'll go all the way! Hurray for kisses!"

There were more howls of joy and triumph. Khamsin, occupying the shower next to Yuji, sighed and smiled vaguely as he rinsed off his hair.

"Ah... youth."

Yuji's mind, however, was still dwelling upon what the other boys had been discussing in the showers as he stepped out of the stalls and reached for a nearby towel.

_Kisses? Rushing things? Huh... Shana was acting kinda oddly last night when we were conversing in regards to the whole idea of kissing... Wonder why._

_

* * *

_

The passing of morning into afternoon brought sunlight back into the sky as the rainclouds parted and soon faded away. Yuji was sitting at a desk inside the school library, busily scanning a reference volume. Piled around him were various other weighty books and tomes.

"...Well, it doesn't tell me anything new. It's the same entries and data no matter where I look. Guess that's all I'm going to get."

Yuji closed the last book and set it down on top of the heap. Leaning back in his chair, Yuji looked out a nearby window.

_I don't get it, this whole business of kissing. But nevertheless..._

The Flame Haze's train of thought was suddenly derailed by Shana's voice, coming out of nowhere.

"...Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you."

Turning quickly around, Yuji looked up at the young Mystes.

"Shana? Is something the matter?"

"No, not exactly anything. It's just that school's been out for a few minutes now. Aren't you going to stalk me and follow me home as usual?"

Yuji smiled as he got up from his seat.

"Ah, good point... Just let me put these books away..."

Shana looked over the volumes with a raised eyebrow.

"That's quite a pile of research you've got there. What were you looking up anyway?"

For some reason, Yuji felt his cheeks heat up as he tried his best to divert Shana's attention away from the volumes he had been perusing.

"N-nothing. Nothing really important. Just something I was curious about."

Shana shrugged as she began to aid Yuji in gathering up the scattered books.

"Well, if you insist..."

Nearby, from behind a bookcase, a pair of teal eyes watched the pair gather up the piled tomes. Hecate's mind rang incessantly with a single singsong line.

_Shana, you liar... Shana, you coward... Liar, coward, liar, coward..._

_

* * *

_

Margery sighed as she opened up the front door to her house and walked inside.

"Yo, kid, are you in? I'm back from teaching ungrateful little brats how to spell their A-B-Cs."

Keisaku merely grunted in reply as he looked up from a magazine. Marcosius gave a more lively response.

"Is that so, you buxom beast of the schoolyard!? I don't really think they're all _that _ungrateful, especially the guys! They must really appreciate being able to stare at your chest all day- OOF!"

Marcosius gave a startled exclamation of pain as the empty wine bottle ricocheted off the heavy cover of his Grimoire. Margery had a distinctly pissed-off look on her face as she spoke.

"Shut up, stupid Marco."

Margery then looked up to the Chanter of Elegies.

"Hey, kid... Shouldn't you keep a better eye on what your partner's always saying?"

Keisaku merely grunted again and threw the magazine onto a nearby coffee table. After a moment's contemplation of the scene in front of her, Margery suddenly had a strange grin come to her face.

"Say, kid... Mind coming with me somewhere? You seem to be awfully bored..."

The Chanter of Elegies scowled at the English teacher, but Margery noticed that he didn't exactly say no.

* * *

"Truly, you seem to be quite skilled at handling matters of this sort."

Even with the dispassionate tone and blank expression that seemed to dominate Wilhelmina's remark, the eyes of Shana's guardian seemed to glow with an intense glimmer that conveyed respect and wonder.

Yuji smiled in self-deprecation as he finished chopping the vegetables and scooped them into the frying pan.

"Ah, it's not much. I just learned how to do this from my mother."

"Truly, she must be an amazing person."

Yuji simply nodded and smiled, but his expression soon turned thoughtful.

"Well, she taught me a lot of things... but there was something that she never taught me about. Wilhelmina-san, do you know anything about..."

"...?"

"...Kissing?"

Wilhelmina seemed to be taken aback by Yuji's question. Blushing slightly, as if remembering some far-off memory, Shana's guardian looked out the kitchen window as she slowly spoke in reply.

"T-truly, that is an awkward question for me to answer. Have you resorted to conventional means of research?"

Yuji nodded.

"Yeah, but... all the reference works I looked up gave me the same thing."

Wilhelmina quietly nodded.

"What about novels or fictional tales? Romance novels, for instance?"

Yuji scratched at his face in embarrassment.

"Uh, erm... Alastor tells me that it's worthless to look up something that isn't backed by hard, solid data."

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, is that so? This 'Alastor' person... is he your father?"

Yuji's face took on a contemplative look.

"No... not really... I guess you could call him a mentor, for lack of a better term. He started taking care of me after my mother could no longer do so."

"...Truly, that is interesting. This one knows very little about how to explain the details or raw data of kissing. Truly, much of what kissing _is_ involves very little logic or actual data. Most of it is within your heart."

Yuji blinked.

"My... heart?"

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, that would be it. Willful physical contact, such as hugging or holding hands, as you might surmise, involves affection. This one believes that you are already aware of this."

"Uh-huh."

"Truly, however, the act of a kiss is on a very different level compared to merely hugging or touching one's hand, arm, or shoulder. Truly, it is... for better or for worse, signifies something much deeper between you and the one whom you are kissing."

Yuji's face turned thoughtful as he attempted to digest the words that Wilhelmina had said. After a long moment, he then spoke.

"...So... is it something like a contract?"

Wilhelmina rubbed at her chin in pondering, then slowly nodded.

"Truly, you might say that. It is indeed much like a contract or promise... or perhaps, one could better call it a declaration."

She turned and looked over at the living room where Shana was sitting. Engrossed in watching the television set, the young girl was completely oblivious to the conversation that was being discussed between Yuji and Wilhelmina. Shana's guardian smiled slightly as she continued.

"Truly, it is a declaration of your deep affection for that person. It is a declaration of your feelings _for_ that person and strongest wish to always be _with_ that person, if not in body, then in spirit."

Yuji quietly nodded.

"I see, a declaration. So that means, if a girl wants to kiss you, does that mean that she's declaring her feelings for you?"

"Truly, that would most likely be the case. However, you must be ready and alert to handle those sorts of declarations. If you are not ready to acknowledge and reciprocate that declaration, then you must not kiss her back."

Wilhelmina's expression turned grave.

"Truly, for one to return a kiss without honest feelings of reciprocated declaration is an absolute cruelty. Truly, in addition, it is also an absolute cruelty to force such a declaration upon a girl if she does not harbor the same feelings for you."

Abruptly and without warning, a gleaming kitchen knife once again appeared in Wilhelmina's hands. She tested the edge with a forefinger as she shot Yuji a warning look.

"Truly, I urge you to keep that in mind as you associate with Shana."

Yuji could only nod as he rubbed at his neck and gulped in nervous agreement. Alastor's Cocytus glimmered faintly.

* * *

"Well, you certainly bought a lot of stuff, Ms. Margery."

Keisaku scowled as he struggled to balance the unwieldy boxes and bags in his arms. Margery simply winked at him as she continued on to the next store.

"Oh, please, don't flatter me like that... I'm just getting started. After all, we still need to visit the lingerie-"

The rest of her sentence, however, was cut short as Keisaku abruptly dropped her purchases into a pile on the pavement and darted in front of her. Blinking in some surprise, the English teacher noticed three figures approaching, but didn't notice anything exactly odd about the oncoming trio.

Marcosius suddenly spoke. Margery couldn't help but notice that the Claw and Fangs of Violation's voice was oddly wry and low.

"Bah... of all the times to run into THOSE folks, it has to be now...?"

Margery raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the trio slowly walked past them. Without warning, however, the third passerby, a kid with dark hair and oval eyeglasses, paused next to Keisaku and softly spoke.

"It's been a long time, ladykilling lunchthief."

Keisaku's voice was equally soft and low as he gave reply.

"...Just what brings you here, you accursed little honor student?"

One of the other two, a guy around Keisaku's height and possessed of squinted eyes, turned and looked up in the Flame Haze's direction with some interest.

"Oh, Ike-san, you know this guy?"

Ike nodded as he turned to his two companions.

"Indeed. Ogata and Tanaka, the 'Doubting Couple', may I present to you the 'Chanter of Elegies', Keisaku Satou. Among all of the many Flame Hazes which hunt our kind, this one holds the reputation and record for being the most bloodthirsty and fearsome."

Ogata looked him over with an expression of mild disbelief.

"Him? This is the guy who's with Marcosius, the 'Claw and Fangs of Violation', then? Kinda hard to believe."

Eita looked Keisaku up and down, then shook his head.

"He's powerful, all right, but he's not what I'm looking for... I think. Let's go."

Ogata sighed and shrugged as she turned and began to follow after her counterpart.

"Meh, fine, fine... Just remember that you owe me fried noodles tonight."

With a final nod to Keisaku, Ike turned and followed after the Doubting Couple. As Margery watched the three leave, she spoke to Keisaku with a raised eyebrow.

"Those three little squirts are _Denizens?_ Hey, kid, you're a Flame Haze, right? Are you sure it's okay to just let them go off like that? Shouldn't you be chasing them or something?"

Marcosius snorted.

"Psh. We didn't let_ them _go. They let _us_ go."

Keisaku gently chucked the Grimoire with a clenched fist as he looked over his shoulder and scowled fiercely at the three departing figures.

"Shut up, stupid Marco..."

* * *

"...It's midnight again."

Yuji silently nodded as Shana returned the stopwatch to the pocket of her sweatshirt. After a brief moment, the female Mystes gave a small start as she felt the Midnight Lost Child go to work within her. After a moment's consideration, she looked up at Yuji.

"Hey, Yuji..."

"Hmm?"

Shana's voice became slightly diffident and halting as she continued.

"...T-the Midnight Lost Child essentially means that I'm going to live forever as long as I hold it within me, right?"

Yuji pondered the thought as he stared up at the moon above.

"Yeah, in theory, it should. Why do you ask?"

Shana's face took on an odd, thoughtful look.

"...W-well, I was just thinking... Does that mean we're always going to be together... forever? That you'll always be stalking me?"

"...!!"

Yuji's eyes widened as he found himself taken aback by her remark. His eyes then wandered over to his hand, which was still holding onto Shana's. Noticing it as well, Shana blushed furiously as she abruptly withdrew her hand from Yuji's.

"S-sorry... I guess I was being a little too..."

Suddenly, Alastor's voice broke into the conversation.

"Shana, could you do something for me?"

Shana blinked, but nodded as she looked over at the Cocytus dangling from its keyring.

* * *

The next morning found Flame Haze and Mystes looking down at Alastor's Cocytus, strapped to Shana's cellphone with a few lengths of hair ribbon. Shana then spoke.

"Is this all right?"

Alastor murmured in approval.

"Mmm, yes. You may proceed."

Yuji nodded and headed over to the kitchen, where Wilhelmina was busily engaged in scrubbing the counter with a cleaning brush.

"Wilhelmina-san, do you mind if I use the phone for a moment?"

Shana's guardian looked up from her cleaning.

"Truly, I do not mind, so long as you do not call some distant place such as the United States or Mexico. Truly, costs for phone call rates must be kept to a minimum."

Yuji nodded as he quickly dialed in the number for Shana's cellphone. After a moment, he spoke into the receiver.

"Ah, hello?"

Over the other end of the line, Alastor's voice came back in clear, distinct tones.

"I am here. Let us proceed."

"Uh-huh."

Yuji then looked over to Wilhelmina.

"Wilhelmina-san, it's for you."

The magenta-haired woman looked up with some interest.

"Truly, is that so?"

Taking the phone from Yuji, Wilhelmina spoke into the receiver.

"Yes?"

"Ah, g-greetings. It is finally an honor to speak with you, Miss Wilhelmina. This is Alastor."

"Truly, I must reciprocate the feeling of honor. You must be the guardian that Yuji Hirai keeps mentioning."

"Indeed. And don't hesitate to refer to him simply as 'Yuji'."

"Truly, this one understands. To be honest, this one must thank you."

"Oh? For what?"

"Truly, for raising the young man Yuji so well. He is well-mannered, intelligent, and has been a good friend to my young ward, Shana. You are to be commended. He is a fine young man."

There was a tone of flattered approval in Alastor's response.

"Naturally. That is why, in fact, erm, why I must therefore request of you that you refrain from discussing subjects with him that are of a rather, shall we say, ah, _delicate _nature. Much like the conversation you had with him yesterday."

Back in Shana's room, the young Mystes blinked.

"Huh? Yesterday?"

Yuji remained conspicuously silent. Suddenly, Wilhelmina looked up from the phone and called to them from across the kitchen.

"Truly, excuse me for a moment, Alastor-san... It would be recommended for you two to begin heading to school now. Truly, one should not be late for classes."

Opening the door, Shana and Yuji nodded to Wilhelmina as they headed over to the entrance.

"We're off."

"Truly, come back safely."

And with that, Shana and Yuji were out the door. Wilhelmina returned her attention to the phone.

"Truly, I apologize for the interruption. Please continue."

Alastor cleared his throat as he resumed the discussion.

"Well, erm... as I was mentioning, I would prefer that you not discuss subjects such as these with Yuji. It is not that I disagree with your views on such matters, it is simply that I wish to avoid situations where Yuji might accidentally get in over his head with premature relationships, such as with your young Shana."

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, this one hears, understands, and agrees with your concerns."

Alastor's voice held a note of relief in his reply.

"I thank you for your wisdom, milady."

Wilhelmina's voice suddenly turned slightly sharp.

"However..."

"Hmm?"

"...This one wishes to request that these discussions be allowed to continue, for the sake of the young man we all know as Yuji. Truly, this one noticed yesterday that he did not have much of an understanding or knowledge regarding relationships with the opposite gender."

"Mmm..."

Wilhelmina continued.

"Truly, it can be said that the magnitude of Yuji's ignorance regarding this subject is nigh-fatal. Were he to continue on this course with such little knowledge, this young man would eventually find himself hurting far more than is necessary in such relationships."

Alastor's voice now held a note of slight embarrassment.

"W-well, I'd hoped to teach him slowly about such matters, over the course of several years as Yuji grows and experiences all sorts of things from life."

Wilhelmina shook her head as she responded.

"Truly, children grow up faster than we would like. This one remembers when Shana was but a small child, giggling and crawling after stuffed animals within the reach of her small arms. These days, she makes many of her own decisions, speaks her mind with little hesitation, and swings around around her grandfather's katana. Truly, for Yuji, I can only assume that it is no different. Boys do not grow up at controllable rates. Truly, they often begin to express interest in such matters as the opposite gender in intervals that often catch us unprepared, and they often display far greater perception of such matters than one might predict."

Alastor hesitantly began to speak up.

"But..."

"Truly, Yuji trusts you, does he not? Why else would he tell you about the conversation which he held with me yesterday?"

"W-well, I... rather forced it out of him, more than anything else."

"Truly, that may be so, but the simple fact that he would consent to discuss such a matter with you only speaks volumes of the trust and regard he must hold for you. Truly, then, could you not trust Yuji Hirai in return to do the right thing?"

Alastor was silent.

"..."

Wilhelmina, hearing no response, continued.

"Truly, as this one has stated before, you have raised Yuji well. His heart, this one believes, is warm and kind. Young Shana has become far happier around him, far happier than before, when she first moved to this city of Misaki. Truly, this one cannot help but notice that she has become very drawn to that young man. Her feelings, although she yet denies them verbally, are no doubt very much inclined towards him."

Wilhelmina looked over to a small photograph of Shana, mounted on the nearby refrigerator, and smiled vaguely as she continued.

"Truly, this one feels that this young man Yuji is the best thing to have happened to Shana in a long while. He has been brought up well, and is quite intelligent. Truly, can you not trust Yuji to come to the right answer in his own way, if given the proper instruction, no matter the length of time that is used to teach him? Truly, this one firmly believes so. And in any event, I am watching over him as well."

After a long moment of silence, Alastor finally spoke.

"Miss Wilhelmina, I... I must... I must beg you to allow me to take back the rash remarks I made earlier. I cannot help but see where young Shana gets her preternatural intelligence and wisdom from."

Wilhelmina slowly nodded.

"Truly, you give this one far too much credit and flattery. And this one must apologize as well for being so... direct. Truly, however, let us trust in those two... to reach the right decision through their own hearts."

Alastor's final word were intermingled with warmth and pride.

"...Indeed."

* * *

"So, what were you and Wilhelmina talking about yesterday then?"

Shana looked over at Yuji with a curious expression on her face. Yuji stared back at Shana for a long moment before he finally spoke with a vague little smile.

"...It's a secret."

Shana snorted.

"Hmph. Idiot..."

Even as she began to turn back to her melon bread, however, Shana noticed that he was continuing to stare at her face. The young female Mystes couldn't help but begin to blush as she felt herself being subjected to his intense stare. Then, after another moment, Yuji slowly turned away, muttering a line that seemed rather... odd.

"...I wonder what it's like to make a declaration of that sort..."

Shana blinked at the curious remark, but soon shrugged it off as Hecate and Khamsin walked up. Hecate glanced over at Shana for a long moment. Shana scowled back. After another moment of exchanging deadly looks, the teal-haired prayer-nut pulled a wrapped box out of her school bag and handed it to Yuji.

The Flame Haze looked down at the box in his hands with some puzzlement.

"What's this?"

"It is a boxed lunch. I felt that it would be better for you to have some variety in your meals, rather than eating rice balls all the time."

Yuji blinked, but then quickly smiled as he turned to Hecate and nodded.

"Ah, well then... Thank you!"

Hecate blushed slightly and returned a small smile of her own. Shana looked away with a sour expression on her face as Yuji opened the box up and glanced down at the contents.

"Oh. Pretty good..."

Picking up a pair of chopsticks, Yuji was about to dig in when a plastic-wrapped object landed on top of the lunch box with a soft thump.

Yuji blinked in some surprise as he stared down at the bun of melon bread that now sat on the food that Hecate prepared. He then looked over to Shana, who simply continued to munch away at another bun with a curiously satisfied look on her face.

Hecate narrowed her eyes at Shana's little culinary shenanigan, but said nothing. Khamsin just smiled vaguely as he dug into his own food.

Even as Yuji began to dig into the food that had been given to him, however, his attention was suddenly grabbed by the sight of Sorath and Tiriel, who were busy frenching away in a nearby corner. Up until now, the Flame Haze had barely paid attention to them. Now, however, due to the recent questions and conversations he'd had, Yuji stared at them with a newly-gained interest.

Shana looked over at the two siblings as well and narrowed her eyes.

"What's so interesting about them, pervert stalker?"

Yuji wasn't really paying attention to Shana's remark as he spoke the thought that crossed his mind.

"Kissing, huh... I wonder what it's like."

Shana snorted.

"Don't say stupid things, you clueless pervert of an idiot... Besides, who'd want to kiss YOU?"

As if to answer, Hecate suddenly reached over... grabbed Yuji by the ears... and promptly locked lips with him.

Everyone present in the classroom stared in utter shocked amazement. Shana's face was as white as a sheet. A piece of half-chewed pita bread dropped from Khamsin's open mouth. Tiriel simply smiled.

"My, she's pretty good. Extra points for technique."

Taken completely aback, Yuji waved his arms in alarm as he struggled to speak, to think, to react, to do _anything_. The Flame Haze was finding it rather difficult to speak, however, as he suddenly felt something warm and moist enter his mouth.

_...!! T-tongue!?_

"Mmmphf... Mrrrgh!"

After another moment, Hecate slowly disengaged herself from Yuji and looked up at Shana with a faint expression of triumph. Tiriel chuckled.

"Good use of the tongue. My, but that was entertaining..."

Yuji swayed like a drunken metronome. As his vision cleared and senses returned, he found himself staring at a very pissed-off face. Shana's face.

* * *

Bel Peol looked up from the latest pile of paperwork and blinked.

"Another earthquake? We've been having a lot of those lately..."

Shaking her head, she returned her attention to grading student papers.

* * *

_Later that afternoon..._

Yuji sighed as he sat on the rooftop of the apartment complex, nursing a pair of black eyes. Shana had utterly refused to speak to him for the rest of the school day, and all attempts he'd made to apologize had ended in painful failure.

"Boy, Shana was really angry today..."

Yuji couldn't help but blush, however, as his mind recalled the absolutely indescribable sensation of Hecate's lips on his own. The Flame Haze sheepishly rubbed at his mouth as he tried to clear his brain of the not-quite-so-unwelcome distraction. He couldn't help but grin.

"I sure didn't expect that of Hecate, though..."

"Still thinking perverted thoughts about _Miss Convent_, I see..."

Yuji spun around and looked over his shoulder at Shana, who was standing behind him with her arms crossed and a scornful look on her face. The surprised Flame Haze wildly gesticulated with his hands as he spluttered.

"Ah, erm... ah, n-no, nothing like that. I was-"

Shana sighed and shook her head as she turned to leave.

"Never mind, you clueless stalker. Anyway, Wilhelmina wants you to come inside and have something to eat."

Yuji quickly nodded as he followed after the departing Mystes. Even as the two walked into the apartment, however, Yuji noticed that the TV was on... and was playing the same drama series that he'd been watching with Shana a few nights back.

This time... the male and female protagonist simply began to kiss as if there were no tomorrow. Yuji raised an eyebrow.

"Oooh..."

Shana, blushing up a storm, scowled fiercely as she suddenly snatched up the remote and switched the TV set off. She then glared up at Yuji for a moment. The hapless Flame Haze gulped.

"Uh, erm..."

Snorting in contempt and vexation, Shana turned away, still blushing, while irately mumbling and muttering a line that Yuji didn't quite understand.

"Hmph! I'm not going to lose..."

Yuji simply blinked and looked over at Shana in clueless, speechless wonder.

* * *

Far on the other side of Misaki City, the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt vaguely mumbled as he stared into the distance. Azure flames sparked in his hand as he left another Torch in his wake.

"...I wonder where he could be. I hope I can find the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter soon. Then... then... I'll finally..."

Ogata grumbled as she stood nearby, impatiently tapping a foot.

"Hey, stupid Tanaka! Hurry it up! It's past dinnertime and you still haven't bought me those noodles!"

There was a long-suffering sigh.

"Coming, coming..."

Ike chuckled quietly, but said nothing.

* * *

"Well... I never expected THAT to happen."

"Tell me about it. Everything's shot to hell now. I wonder how Shana's going to handle this."

The Writer of Questionable Stories shrugged.

"Hopefully, nothing too rash. I'd hate to think of what would happen if she simply decided to skip the normal proceedings and just head for home plate."

There was a shudder.

"Heaven forbid..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	12. Chapter 212: Weeds Sprout In The Coffin

**Writer's Note:** Urgh, I apologize to everyone for the delay this time around. Things have been... busy as of late. Anyways, here's the latest chapter, and I've also posted Hecate's swimsuit fanart on my profile page. Go check it out. Thank you for your patience.

* * *

**ColinatorGX:** Thank you. I'm glad that you find it funny. As to what Tanaka wants from Yuji... it may not necessarily be a physical object.

**CapoExecutor:** Well, I thought it would be more appropriate for Hecate to make the first move. She's not exactly timid like Kazumi.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Well, it IS a reversed parody after all. Huh, if you're saying that Ogata is still pretty much like Ogata, then it seems that I succeeded in getting the characterization down. As for Tanaka's goals... it's not quite so focused on something "tangible", if you catch my drift.

**Blue Bragon:** Thank you. I apologize for the delay in this particular update, but things... happened.

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Haha. Hecate might have something to say (or do) about that. But yes, I do like seeing Shana and Yuji together. They're a cute couple.

**Sociopathic-Antichrist:** I'm pleased that you found it amusing. I doubt that more guava juice will be spilled, though. The Writer of Questionable Stories already has enough problems on his hands as it is.

* * *

"Hey, there's a letter here for you."

The Writer of Questionable Stories looked up from his glass of guava juice.

"...Who's it from?"

"Uh... I dunno how to explain it, but... ah heck, just read it."

Tearing open the envelope, the Writer of Questionable Stories unfolded the letter inside and quickly let his eyes run over the writing that covered one side in scrawling lines. After a moment of perusal, the Writer of Questionable Stories rolled his eyes and tossed the letter to one side on his desk.

"So who's it from?"

"...The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

"Huh? Him?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories shook his head.

"No. HER."

"What. The. HECK...!?"

"Just what I thought as well when I first read her little written rant. Apparently, she's demanding that I give her displaced variant a frenching scene with Yuji too, since Hecate got one first."

"...Damn."

"No shit, Sherlock."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 212: Weeds Sprout In The Coffin**

* * *

_Well, things have certainly been lousy lately. Stupid Yuji! Couldn't he have resisted that damned prayer-freak more!? And that... that... THAT LITTLE MISS CONVENT! Stealing a march on me and taking... what was... should have been... Argh! The very thought of her having been Yuji's first is so aggravating, and I'm not exactly sure why! Wait... why am I so concerned about who Yuji kisses first!? Grrgh..._

* * *

Hecate stirred restlessly within her bedroom, adorned with various pieces of classical Greek architecture and statuary.

"...Hirai-kun..."

The teal-haired girl had been having a hard time getting to sleep. Much of the cause had to do with a certain dark-haired boy with steely blue-grey eyes. Closing her eyes, Hecate's mind wandered back to the lunch hour at school when she'd frenched Yuji.

The ghost of the sensation still hovered on her lips. A stray finger rested on her mouth as she recalled Yuji's warmth.

_Warm... So warm..._

By now, Hecate had no doubt in her mind whatsoever that she'd basically fallen, and fallen hard, for the young boy.

_I have feelings for Hirai-kun... but... does he have feelings for me?_

An unwelcome feeling welled up within Hecate's chest as her mind turned to her unspoken rival.

_Shana. Does Hirai-kun have feelings for Shana?_

Shaking her head and shutting her eyes tight, Hecate slowly rose from her bed and looked out the bedroom window. She realized, much to her own dismay, that any further attempts at getting to sleep that night would be futile.

Slowly getting to her feet, Hecate changed into a woolen sweatsuit and walked out the front door.

* * *

"All right, you idiot pervert of a stalker, you've dragged me out here this early in the morning, robbed me of my sleep... so what is it that you're trying to do right now? Molest me?"

Yuji turned around with a crimson blush on his cheeks as he continued to jog up the hilly path that led to the banks of the Mana River, which ran through the middle of the city.

"N-no! Just... just keep following me, all right?"

Shana grumbled sleepily.

"Hurry it up already, idiot..."

Suddenly, Yuji stopped as he reached the top of the embankment.

"It's here."

Shana, caught off-guard by the Flame Haze's abruptness, looked around in mild bewilderment for a moment before she suddenly found herself staring at the view before her.

The stars, left undimmed by a lack of nearby light pollution, glimmered and sparkled in the night sky, leaving a similar reflection of glittering starfall on the river's unspoiled waters of azure. Shana blinked at the sight.

"It's so... beautiful."

Yuji nodded as he quietly smiled.

"It's my favorite spot in the entire city."

Shana's words were whispered in wonderment.

"To think that I'd been in Misaki all this time... and never knew of such a sight..."

The young Mystes looked up at Yuji.

"...But why did you show this to me...?"

The Flame Haze smiled down at her and scratched at the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

"To be honest... I... don't really know. I just... wanted to show you, I guess."

Shana blushed. Quickly looking away to hide the crimson on her cheeks, the female Mystes grumbled to hide her embarrassment.

"W-what are you saying... idiot..."

Yuji's smile only grew wider, but he said nothing as the two continued to stare at the view before them.

* * *

Hecate's steps slowed to a halt as she found herself staring up at the two figures standing on the embankment, gazing out at the river and the star-studded sky. Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing as she slowly turned away and headed back for home.

* * *

"So there you are. I was wondering where you were, after seeing your bed empty and vacant."

Keisaku looked up from his seat at the kitchen table. Grunting in a monosyllable, the Chanter of Elegies then turned his attention back to the trashy pulp fiction novel in his hands and the bowl of cornflakes placed before him. Margery raised an eyebrow at his taciturn behavior as she took a seat next to him.

"Hey... by the by, I have a question."

"...?"

"Tell me honestly. Just why did you hold back from attacking those Denizens we met on the street yesterday in the shopping district? Was it for my sake?"

Keisaku's face tightened slightly, but he remained stubbornly silent. Margery sat next to him for a moment longer, but soon gave up and got up to prepare for work.

"Hmph. Men..."

* * *

Hecate found herself staring out the window of her home classroom at Misaki High. Down below, her idle eyes suddenly caught a view of Yuji and Shana walking into the campus grounds, side-by-side.

Her eyes narrowed once more. Her hand, resting on the casement of the classroom window, slowly clenched into a tense fist.

_Shana... Hirai-kun..._

Suddenly, a gruff voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Well, you're certainly looking a bit... off, today."

Spinning around, Hecate found herself staring at Sydonay, standing in the open doorway of the classroom. The teal-haired girl stared at the Misaki High gym teacher for a moment longer, then turned her gaze back to the classroom window.

"...It's... nothing."

Sydonay sighed and scratched at the back of his head.

"Nothing? Hmph. You haven't been praying lately, you've recently been daydreaming a lot in gym class, you've been staring out that window this whole morning... Did something happen?"

Hecate hesitated for a moment, but then began to speak.

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of morning classes and the beginning of the lunch period. Yuji stepped outside the classroom, intent upon getting to the food carts outside for his lunch. Even as he stepped outside the doorway, however, he found himself staring up at Sydonay, standing just outside the classroom door.

"...Hirai-kun."

Yuji bowed politely.

"Sydonay-sensei."

The expression on Sydonay's face was unreadable as he continued with the conversation.

"Do you mind if we could talk privately for a moment?"

Blinking in puzzlement, Yuji nodded.

The two soon found themselves standing up on the school rooftop. Sydonay lit a cigarette as he stared down at the athletics track below. Taking a drag from the cancer stick, the gym teacher breathed out a plume of smoke from his nostrils as he looked over at Yuji.

"So... I hear that Hecate-chan has shown an interest in you."

Yuji blinked.

"S-something like that, yes."

His expression unreadable, Sydonay pushed the point home without warning.

"What are your feelings for her? How do you view yourself in relation to Hecate-chan?"

Yuji was silent for a long moment. When the Flame Haze finally did speak, it was in an unsure, hesitant tone.

"I... I'm not sure."

Sydonay chuckled, but the look that was now on his face was anything but amused.

"Hmph. Not sure, eh? Not sure about what? You seemed sure about playing two girls at once. After all, you took that little misfit Shana out on an early morning date to the Mana River. So what are you so unsure about in regards to Hecate-chan? How to kiss her? How to take advantage of her? Or how about getting her to put out in a threeso-"

Yuji's face paled, but before he could think anything to say in reply, an angry female voice interrupted Sydonay's tirade.

"SYDONAY-SENSEI!"

Looking as if he'd been stung, Sydonay whirled around. Standing in the doorway to the school rooftop was a girl possessed of teal hair.

Hecate.

The look on her face was fearsome to behold. Glaring up at Sydonay, the girl slowly walked out onto the rooftop, advancing on the gym teacher like a stalking tiger. Stammering, the Misaki High gym teacher instinctively backed away a step as Hecate opened her mouth to speak.

"When I told you about what happened early this morning, sensei... I was not asking you to intervene in any way. I was simply telling you what was on my mind. I was not asking you to handle it for me. I was not asking you to talk to Hirai-kun for me."

"H-Hecate-chan..."

Her eyes looked like twin flames of azure fire. Still advancing on the hapless gym teacher, Hecate's voice was like frosted steel as she continued.

"I had spoken with the assumption that you would properly exercise your sense of discretion. It appears that I was sadly mistaken."

Sydonay gulped as she finished.

"...I am very disappointed in you, Sydonay-sensei."

Even though Hecate hadn't once raised her voice, the words seemed to send Sydonay reeling in painful agony. Without another word, the teal-haired girl then whirled around and left. Sydonay could only stare after her departing figure in speechless dismay and consternation.

"H-Hecate-chan..."

Yuji cluelessly blinked after the departing gym teacher, but soon shrugged and left to resume his interrupted lunch hour. In the confused jumble of angry words, declarations, and accusations, nobody seemed to take notice of the diminutive figure of Shana, crouched wordlessly in the shadows of the rooftop entryway. Her slim fingers were tightly clenched around the skirt of her school uniform.

* * *

Ike looked down at the device on the outdoor cafe table with some askance. The shades of yellow that hung around the area gave the electronic device a sickly pall.

"So... you want me to guard... THIS?"

The MP3 player seemed to wink up at the mercenary Denizen. Ogata sighed and nodded in reluctant assent.

"Yeah. I know, I know... it sounds stupid, but you'll need to do so while that idiot Tanaka carries out whatever wild idea he's got brewing inside that empty head of his."

Ike shrugged as he grabbed up the MP3 player and pocketed it.

"Very well then. As for other matters... As your employee, I am obliged to mention the fact that we should have dealt with the Chanter of Elegies when we'd first encountered him."

Ogata shrugged back.

"What hasn't been done already is too late to remedy, in this situation. In any case, we shouldn't worry too much. The Chanter of Elegies was looking rather... unmotivated, in regards to his long-standing reputation."

Ike shook his head in mild disapproval.

"Well, it's your decision, but I would like to point out the fact that it's unwise to let down your guard around the Chanter of Elegies, regardless of his current status. And if he should happen to join forces with the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter..."

The bespectacled Denizen looked over at Tanaka, who was busily absorbing another human victim, before finishing.

"...Even you two might have difficulties."

Ogata sighed.

"Flame Haze don't 'team up'. Their egos don't allow for it. And in any case, even if that should happen, that's what the Coffin Stadium is for, isn't it? As long as it's up, then we shouldn't have too much to worry about. But it will only stay up as long as you do your job... And that's to protect the music player. If something should happen to it..."

Ike reluctantly nodded.

"Fine. I'll take good care of it. Just make sure you keep that self-confidence-challenged boyfriend of yours from taking too long. The longer this drags out, the harder it'll be to keep complications from accumulating."

"Whatever. Just make sure you do your job."

Ike raised an eyebrow in wry humor.

"Do you... doubt my abilities?"

Ogata leaned back in her chair and snorted.

"Always, 'Thousand Strategies'. Always."

* * *

Sydonay sighed as he puffed on another cigarette. A pile of previously smoked-out butts lay at his feet.

"...Huh. I really upset her this time."

At that moment, a youthful, boyish voice interrupted his musings.

"...Sydonay-sensei?"

The Misaki High gym teacher looked over to see Yuji, standing a few feet away. Sydonay exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke through his nostrils as he added another smoked-out butt to the pile at his feet.

"Oh... it's just you."

"Sydonay-sensei... I... I'm really sorry if I upset you in some way, but I... I wasn't really sure what you were talking about there."

Sydonay glanced over at Yuji for a long moment, then looked up at the sky above.

"Don't worry yourself about it. You really didn't do anything wrong."

Yuji smiled.

"Is that so? That's a relief..."

Sydonay looked back over at Yuji and chuckled.

"...Hmm? Is something wrong, Sydonay-sensei?"

"No, no... It's just... I think I really am a foolish old man at times. Here I am, getting worked up over high school relationships, just because I have a soft spot for a certain student of mine."

Yuji looked up at Sydonay and blinked.

"...Do you like Hecate-san?"

"Huh? Uhm, y-yes... but not in the way that you might think. It's just... I've known Hecate ever since she was a kid. Her late parents were friends of mine. She was always quiet, never associated with anybody... and she never smiled. Always praying by herself. In short, she was an unrepentant loner."

Sydonay looked back over at Yuji.

"I've been working so hard, just to get her to talk, just to get her to smile, even if it was just for one moment. But she never did. And yet... the moment that you came into her life, she slowly started to change."

Sydonay paused, reached into his coat, and pulled out another cigarette.

"Have you noticed? She's actually started talking to other classmates. She's been hanging out with other people. She's... I've even seen her smiling, once or twice. I even think she's been starting to make friends. I've seen her hanging around with Shana a lot lately."

Sydonay looked back over at Yuji as he lit the cigarette in his hands.

"...How did you do it?"

* * *

Shana paused as she reached the bottom of the staircase. Turning around, her suspicions were confirmed as she came face-to-face with her unspoken rival. Hecate stared back.

The Mystes' eyes narrowed as she coldly regarded the teal-haired girl standing before her.

"...So you had to go open your big mouth to that dirty old lolicon of a gym teacher, did you? Upset at the idea that Yuji was spending time with me?"

Hecate's response was soft, but the edge in its words was clear.

"Why should I be? After all, he hasn't said... or shown that he has feelings for you yet."

Shana took a step forwards. The air itself seemed to bristle with electricity.

"...Oh? Then has he told you, yet? Has he... kissed you back?"

"Not yet. But he will, soon."

Shana smirked.

"You're being awfully cocky today, Miss Convent."

"My self-confidence is not without reason. After all, how could I possibly lose when my opponent is a coward who cannot tell him her own feelings?"

"...!"

Shana took a step back, glaring at Hecate, as she realized that the gauntlet had now been officially thrown.

"F-fine! I'll tell him! I'll tell him how I feel! We'll let Yuji choose! And the outcome will be clear. Yuji will... YUJI WILL CHOOSE ME!"

Even as Shana spoke those words, however... time froze in shades of sickly yellow.

* * *

Yuji blinked as the flow of time came to a crashing halt. Sydonay still stood there, the lighter in one hand, the lit cigarette in the other.

The Flame Haze looked up at the sky.

"...An Unrestricted Method...!?"

* * *

Shana turned to leave. Even as she was about to do so, however, she turned back and faced the frozen figure of Hecate. A fierce scowl graced Shana's features.

"...You... I will NOT lose to you! NEVER! Yuji will choose me! We share far more than you ever could! We have a lot more going on! And... and... AND YOUR CHEST IS FLATTER THAN MINE!

* * *

"So, this is it?"

"Uh-huh. I've finally found him."

Ogata raised an eyebrow.

"Huh...? Found who?"

"...The only way I'll be able to prove my own strength. The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

Yuji stood near the railing of the school rooftop, assessing the situation with a glance.

"...Well, this is definitely not a normal situation."

Alastor's voice slid in.

"No, it definitely isn't. For a Seal of this size and magnitude, one would require even more Power of Existence than what's present in this city. Could it be...?"

Yuji shook his head.

"There's quite a few ways to make it possible. A Treasure, a Rinne... or even a network of them. In any case, we can't just sit by and ignore this."

At that, Yuji prepared to launch himself off into the air when a voice suddenly broke his concentration.

"Yuji...!"

The Flame Haze looked over to see Shana running up. Yuji nodded briefly as he turned his attention back to the city.

"Shana. So you noticed it too. Alastor and I are going to scout out the source of the Unrestricted Method."

Noticing what Yuji had been about to do, Shana quickly grabbed his shirt sleeve.

"Wait! Let me come along too!"

Yuji shook his head.

"No, Shana. This is too dangerous. Even with your skills, right now, you won't be able to handle this directly. For someone to utilize an Unrestricted Method of this size and strength... You currently don't have the proper defenses necessary to withstand an attack from a Denizen of this sort. You'd be destroyed in second. Azure's only good against flames, you know. What if they use an attack that Azure can't block?"

Shana slowly and reluctantly relinquished her grip on Yuji's sleeve.

"B-but I..."

"Look, Shana... Right now, if you want to help, don't get in the middle of this fight. I would, however, like someone to investigate something for me?"

Shana blinked.

"...Investigate?"

Yuji nodded.

"Right. Alastor and I noticed that this sort of Seal is just too big for a place like this. It's using far more Power of Existence than what this whole city would contain. Therefore, it seems likely that a network of some sort is being used to maintain this Unrestricted Method."

"A network?"

"Right. It could be a network of Rinne or Treasures. Perhaps even both. I'd like you to find out what's causing the Unrestricted Method. Try and sabotage it too, if you can."

Shana looked over at the city, then turned and looked back at Yuji as she nodded.

"All right. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Shana."

The female Mystes snorted and turned away, blushing up a storm as she spoke.

"Hmph! Don't get me wrong, I-I'm not doing it for you, idiot!"

Yuji simply continued to smile as he began to turn to leave. After a moment's thought, he then turned back to Shana.

"Shana, work hard, all right? If you do well, I just might give you a reward!"

Shana blinked.

"A... reward?"

Unbidden, an image of her passionately making out with Yuji sprang into her mind. Shana felt her whole face overheat.

"...W-what are you talking about, IDIOT!"

Yuji blinked in clueless bewilderment.

"Huh? B-but I-"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! JUST GO!"

* * *

Keisaku snorted.

"Hmph. Looks like those two indecisive brats have finally made their move."

Marcosius gave a muttering reply.

"Hey, hey... Do you really think it's all right that we should just leave things like this? Shouldn't we at least check out the situation?"

The Chanter of Elegies snorted again as he leaned back in his chair.

"Forget it. What use would I be, anyway? Just let that Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed two-timing rascal take care of it. It's not like those indecisive brats are after me, anyway."

**BOFF!**

Keisaku winced as he suddenly felt a thin, but incredibly strong backhand make impact with the back of his head. Looking up, Keisaku found himself looking up at Margery. A rather pissed-off expression was on her face.

"Hey hey... I spent all this time getting back here to tell you once I noticed that the Seal had appeared... and you're just sitting around on your teapot doing nothing?"

Keisaku grumbled as he gingerly rubbed at the lump on his cranium.

"W-why should you care, anyway? It's got nothing to do with me..."

The English teacher frowned, then walked over to the front door and threw it open.

"Then get out."

The Chanter of Elegies blinked.

"...Huh!?"

"You heard me. Get out. Don't come back until you handle the job. I'm sick and tired of watching you just sit around the house and act like an emo all the time. That isn't you, kid. Get off your ass and do something! Anything!"

Keisaku wordlessly blinked at Margery in shocked astonishment. Marcosius' voice held a hint of amusement as he spoke.

"Hey, I think the lady's taken a liking to ya- Oof!"

Margery grumbled as she threw a bottle of beer at the Grimoire.

"Shut up, stupid Marco."

Keisaku continued to stare silently at Margery for a few more moments, then loudly exhaled as he dragged himself off his feet.

"Fine, fine... I'll go. Geez, you're such a pain..."

Margery grinned as she watched him leave.

"Fine by me. Whatever it takes, just as long as you just DO something. Besides, I think this angry, vexed expression of yours suits you better."

Keisaku snorted.

"Hmph. Don't speak such stupid things."

* * *

"...So he's here."

"Finally. I'm getting hungry, you know..."

"Ah, s-sorry, Oga-chan. I'll get you some curry udon after this is all over."

"Hmph. You better."

Yuji landed lightly on top of a nearby streetlamp. Facing the two Denizens, the Flame Haze spoke.

"Greetings. I am the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, Yuji. And you two might be...?"

Tanaka raised his hand in greeting.

"Ah... Tanaka Eita, the 'One Engulfed in Self-Doubt'."

Ogata nodded to Yuji as well.

"So you're the one that idiot Tanaka's after. Are you really the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter? You don't look like it at all. I'm Matake Ogata, the 'One Engulfed in Doubting Others'."

Alastor's voice was grim.

"So, the 'Doubting Couple'. I'm not surprised. And just why would you two youngsters be up and about in this city, anyway?"

Tanaka scratched at the back of his head in embarrassment.

"S-sorry... but the reason we came all the way here... was to kill you."

Yuji's eyes widened.

"...Eh!?"

Tanaka suddenly raised his hand higher. Immediately, long metal rods, each one the size of a telephone pole, burst forth from the cement and asphalt.

Attached to the rods were several humanoid figures, each one wearing a stylized soccer uniform.

Yuji blinked in silent astonishment.

"Wha... what the...!?"

**THUD!**

One of the metal rods had popped up right behind Yuji. Spinning rapidly, it had sent its attached humanoid figurine into a stylized circular kick. The impact of the attack sent Yuji flying into a crumpled heap.

Yuji slowly got to his feet and stretched out a hand, sending a wave of flames lunging towards the two Denizens.

Several more metal rods burst forth from the cement in front of the Doubting Couple, blocking the flames' advance. Tanaka's expression was a curious mixture of regret and determination.

"I'm sorry... But this is something that I have to do. Before you arrived, I took the liberty of setting up this large-area Unrestricted Method, the 'Coffin Stadium'. It turns the entire area into a gigantic foosball field. All of the players here are impervious to fire."

As if to emphasize the point, several more foosball playing rods burst forth around Yuji in a square boundary. Within moments, the rods of metal had the Flame Haze caged within.

"...Ugh...!!"

Yuji snapped his fingers, attempting to burn his way out to no effect. Tanaka sighed.

"I told you... it's useless. Now then..."

With another gesture, a huge, two-handed sword burst forth from the ground in front of Tanaka. Ogata looked over at the weapon.

"Man, such an inelegant weapon... Tanaka, why are you still holding onto that stupid Blutsauger? It's not like you can even wield the damned thing. And I hear it makes such a mess every time it's used..."

Tanaka looked over at Ogata.

"Oga-chan... I'm doing this... because I want you to stop doubting me. And because I want to stop doubting myself."

The One Engulfed in Self-Doubt then looked over to Yuji.

"It's true, I can't lift Blutsauger. I'm too weak at the moment. But... if I had enough strength... If I had strength like that of the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter... then perhaps..."

Suddenly, the metal foosball rods surrounding Yuji began to glow with an ominous yellow light. The Flame Haze grunted in surprise as he felt pain spike through his chest.

"Wha...!?"

Alastor's voice yelled out in alarm.

"This Unrestricted Method... NO!"

Tanaka bowed.

"I'm sorry, Flame Haze... but for the sake of extinguishing my doubts... please die and become my own strength!"

* * *

The Writer of Questionable Stories sighed as he tapped a pencil against one of the documents he'd been editing.

"...Well, this is bad. Everything's completely off-track now. I'm starting to think that this unintended displacement has actually created a brand-new alternate universe. If that's the case... re-alignment, correction, and restoration may very well be impossible."

"So what are you going to do now?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories slammed his forehead against the table.

"...I have no freakin' clue."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	13. Chapter 3113: CeaseFire Declaration

**Writer's Note:** First off, before we begin, I must apologize to all the readers for the intolerable delay. Unfortunately, I was stuck with a laundry list of distractions: Trouble with my parents, jury duty, academics, the death of a friend... you get the picture. Once again, I apologize for the wait. Also, the third picture will regrettably have to be delayed.

* * *

**lightningstrxu:** Thank you.

**ColinatorGX:** Well, we'll see what happens now, ne? And as far as Mathilde, you mean the original Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, right? Well... *Evil grin* How would she be like riding a wave of Rose Madder Flame?

**Isekaijin:** Thanks! Here's hoping there's no more interminable delays.

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Yeah. I may have Ike take both Sydonay's and Bel-Peol's roles in Bal Masque. Hurrah for not-so-flat chests, eh?

**CapoExecutor:** Yep. As far as the Shana-tan segues are concerned... I might. I just might.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Yeah, I did take your suggestion. I'll probably have Ike be both Sydonay and Bel-Peol in Bal Masque... But then he'll probably get teamed up on by both Keisaku and Yuji's mother in the end! XD Keisaku's not really emo though... he's just... taciturn. As far as the upcoming battle is concerned... we'll see. :D

* * *

"All right... done."

The Writer of Questionable Stories sighed as he slammed the laptop shut, another day's worth of paragraphs, sentences, and words having been hopefully adjusted back onto their proper course. Then the telephone rang.

"...Could you pick it up please?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled under his breath.

"Lazy bum..."

The telephone had only been held to his ear for a minute when he suddenly dropped the receiver like a ton of bricks.

"Huh? What's wrong with you? Is there a ghost on the other end of the line?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories turned pale and gulped.

"It's worse."

"Eh?"

"It's HER."

There was a long moment of silence. Then there were two simultaneous shrieks of terror.

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 3113: Declaration of a Cease-Fire On Top of the School**

* * *

The figure of the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter struggled to move, all to no avail. The Unrestricted Method that was mercilessly holding him captive apparently was not only sucking away his Power of Existence, it was also proportionally draining him of his preternatural strength at the same time. Giving the restraining foosball bars a final shake, Yuji looked up at the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt, bewilderment written all over his face.

"...Why... Why are you coming after me specifically?"

Eita, although possessing a clearly regretful expression on his face, turned away and continued with the casting the Unrestricted Method as he spoke.

"In the Crimson Realm, you're known as the very strongest of the Tools of Destruction used by the Crimson Lords. To me, a weakling Denizen who doesn't even have the strength necessary to protect the person he considers the most important... Your strength would be the perfect counter."

Ogata yawned.

"Can we skip all the exposition, Tanaka...? This is getting boring."

Eita looked a bit taken aback, not to mention rather disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm on Ogata's face. After a moment of silent dismay, the male Denizen slowly nodded and turned to the heavy blade of Blutsauger in front of him. Stretching out with both arms, Eita firmly grasped the hilt with both hands...

...and his squinted eyes opened wide with wonder as he suddenly lifted the blade off the asphalt and raised it above his head. His voice soft with astonishment, the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt gave Blutsauger an experimental swing.

"...Amazing. Simply amazing! So this is the strength of the Crimson-Eyed Flaming-Haired Hunter... the Unrestricted Method actually works...!"

Gripping a shoulder with one of his hands, the Flame Haze could only stare up at the two Denizens with a look of dismay from the confines of the Coffin Stadium.

* * *

Shana stared out from the concealing cover of a messy sidewalk hedgerow, scratching her head in some puzzlement as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing and sensing in front of her.

"That's weird... I could've sworn that..."

The next moment, a hand suddenly clapped onto her shoulder, making the female Mystes jump a foot into the air. Scrabbling for her katana, Shana spun around with wide eyes...

...only to find herself staring up at a decidedly unwelcome and vexing face. Keisaku, the Chanter of Elegies, frowned down at the short teenage girl standing before him.

"Geez, you're awfully jumpy. And what are you doing _here_?"

Shana glared back, snorting with undisguised disgust at the Chanter of Elegies as she sheathed her katana.

"I could ask you the same question. What's a slacker Flame Haze like you doing _here_?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, it was just out of curiosity. Something's very odd about this Unrestricted Method that's currently stopping the show. Almost like..."

Shana pointed over at a nearby Torch that was on the verge of disappearing.

"...Almost like that?"

Even as the Torch winked out, a huge stadium lightpost suddenly burst out of the asphalt underneath where it had once stood, its light casting an eerie glow over the street as it loomed into the air. Keisaku blinked at the sudden change, but then looked over at Shana with a puzzled look on her face. Marcosius cut in with a perplexed tone in his voice.

"Wait... Are you telling me that you were actually LOOKING for that? That Rinne?"

Shana nodded.

"For some reason, I can 'see' them, even before they appear. And I'm seeing them all over the place. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about them on my own."

Keisaku grinned.

"Well, this is all sounding very interesting, but let's discuss this in a safer place, all right? Time to move..."

* * *

A few moments later, the two of them found themselves looking out over the Mana River. Keisaku reached into the pocket of his trenchcoat and pulled out a glowing bookmark.

"...Oi, you there? Have you gotten to the Crystal Altar yet?"

Margery's voice floated back through the glowing runes of the eldritch communicator.

"Mm. I'm here. Did your findings match your suspicion?"

"Yep. As expected, it's the Mystes. She's with me at the moment. I don't know why she's even here... She's either acting out of a sense of foolish curiosity, or she's in love with that other Flame Haze."

A heated blush stole up onto Shana's face unnoticed. Before Shana could open her mouth to protest, Keisaku continued.

"What's the situation up there like?"

At the Crystal Altar, Margery frowned as she looked over the miniaturized teal buildings.

"We've got flares of Power of Existence popping up all over. It's almost like a freakin' lattice... It's even more garbled than my students' compositional English essays."

"Eh, is that so..."

Shana raised her eyebrow as the Chanter of Elegies continued to speak through the bookmark.

"Who're you talking to anyway?"

Keisaku blankly stared at the young Mystes for a moment. He then gave her a deadpan reply.

"...My girlfriend."

The angry voice that came through the bookmark was laced with hot denial and violent embarrassment. It was enough to cause the bookmark to shake in the Flame Haze's hands.

"YOUR WHAT!? YOU... DON'T GET ANY STUPID IDEAS NOW, YOU-"

Keisaku's resulting grin only grew wider as his mind could all-too-clearly picture the English teacher's face, bright red in its intense embarrassment. Marcosius guffawed wildly through the Grimoire.

"Pfftt.. Hahahaha! Are you blushing, you boozebreath pedagogue?"

"SHUT UP, STUPID MARCO!"

Shana just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Keisaku grinned for a moment longer before he straightened out his face.

"...Well, enough fun for now. It looks like we have a job to do. Care to team up for now? It would mean saving that boyfriend of yours."

Shana sputtered.

"He... He is NOT my boyfriend!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

* * *

Eita's eyes were now wide open, staring in awestruck glee at the sudden increase in power that was now at his disposal. Yuji shook his head in dismay as the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt gave the Blutsauger several experimental swings.

"...You're going about it all wrong, you know. Completely wrong."

The male Denizen blinked in confused bewilderment as he spoke in reply.

"Wrong? What do you mean, 'going about it all wrong'?"

Yuji sighed as he crossed his arms and shook his head again.

"You think that's really going to help protect her? Look at her."

Eita looked over to Ogata, who had a completely bored look on her face. Yuji continued with little pause or kindness in his tone.

"By the looks of her, she's far more capable of protecting herself than you could ever be, even with all that newfound power at your fingertips."

Eita took a step forwards in the direction of the imprisoned Yuji, doubt clearly written all over his face.

"T-that's... that's not true! I'll protect her! You'll see!"

"Your face is telling me a very different story. Even with all that power... do you really think you'll be able to protect the one you hold most dear with all that lack of self-confidence written all over your features?"

"Enough! I've had enough of this-"

Ogata bluntly interrupted.

"Could you two finish this up already? Honestly, you two... I can't help but wonder at your mutual lack of intelligence. Eita, would you wrap this up already? I'm hungry and I'm in the mood for some yakisoba."

Before Eita could make a proper answer, however, a burst of light exploded from a distant corner of the city. Eita's eyes widened in horrified shock, even as Ogata cursed under her breath.

"Good going, genius. Now look what all your dawdling's brought about. Someone's figured out how the Coffin Stadium works."

* * *

_"Never-ending curse! Tongue of caustic flame!"_

The spiralling bolt of purple fire made explosive impact as it careened into another Torch that Shana had pointed out for the benefit of the Chanter of Elegies. As Flame Haze and Mystes coasted atop the floating Grimoire, Keisaku blew out the last wisps of indigo flame from his fingertips and grinned.

"Well, that's four down... one more to go."

Marcosius' voice was a bit dry as he quietly cut in with his own remark.

"Honestly, you're being a little crude here, my ugly tankard. No poems, just a bunch of jumbled lines?"

Keisaku shrugged.

"Best I can do on short notice, and with this shitty lack of inspiration, it's good enough. Those two indecisive juveniles should be giving us their full attention now."

The Chanter of Elegies now turned back to Shana.

"All right, if my instincts are still working correctly, the last piece of the puzzle should be up at the highest point of this city, holding everything together. Any idea where that might be?"

Margery's voice came in through the eldritch bookmark in Keisaku's hand.

"...Highest point in Misaki City? That's... the second tower on the suspension bridge that crosses the Mana River. Huh... I'm seeing a major flux of Power of Existence swirling from that spot on the Crystal Altar."

Keisaku nodded.

"Then that's the place. Okay brat, it seems that those two lovebirds will most likely be sending somebody after me now. Let's split up for now. I'll rejoin you as soon as I've drawn off their attention. Don't mess it up, all right?"

Shana brusquely nodded.

* * *

"...Ike! Ike, are you there!?"

Yawning and stretching as he got up from his napping spot on the bus station bench, the mercenary Denizen rubbed at his bespectacled eyes as he spoke through the telepathic connection that Ogata had suddenly brought up.

"I'm here. What's the big problem?"

"'Thousand Strategies', there's been a change of plans. Somebody's going after the Lightposts. I need you to stop them... NOW!"

"Didn't you just want me to keep an eye on that little electronic device? Besides, shouldn't that Unrestricted Method have already gone through by now? If your boyfriend's gotten what he's been looking for, shouldn't you two be just calling it a day?"

Ike could almost picture Ogata angrily shaking her head as her voice rang back in reply.

"You idiot! We can't afford to let anyone who's figured out the Coffin Stadium to get away! Now get off your lazy bum and stop whoever's destroying those Lightposts!"

Ike sighed as he rubbed at the back of his head.

"Fine, fine... I guess I should go and earn my pay, eh? You better have a bonus waiting for me when I'm through."

"JUST GET THE JOB DONE FIRST!"

"...Sheesh."

* * *

Re-opening her eyes, Ogata turned to Eita and huffed.

"Well, I got Ike up on his feet. Now quit stalling and finish the job, stupid Tanaka!"

Still looking crestfallen, Eita slowly nodded as he turned to Yuji, still imprisoned within the impromptu cage.

"...Your strength is fire-manipulation, right? Then this should do..."

Stretching out a hand, the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt focused his energies...

...and then blinked as absolutely nothing happened. Yuji chuckled within his cell of foosball rods. Eita looked at his hand, still outstretched, in bewildered astonishment.

"Huh!? No... no flames!? But I absorbed your power, your strength! That Unrestricted Method should have..."

Gritting his teeth in chagrin, Eita brought up the Blutsauger.

"Hmph! It doesn't matter... I've still got enough strength to finish you off...!!"

Lunging forwards, Eita thrust the Blutsauger into the cage, piercing the form of the Flame Haze imprisoned within.

**SHHTHUNK!**

Even as the huge, heavy blade hit home, however, the form of the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter suddenly disintegrated into a mass of fiery embers. Eita's eyes widened in shock as the foosball rods fell away into a disjointed pile.

"Wha...!?"

Ogata's face bore a similar look of shock, but she said nothing as she stood back a safe distance away.

From out of nowhere, Yuji's voice spoke.

"You're thinking of _this_ technique, right?"

From beneath the asphalt, a towering pillar of fire suddenly burst forth, nearly incinerating Eita as he jumped away barely in time. Riding atop the blistering, blazing column of flames was Yuji.

Eita took a step back in dismay.

"But... but... How can you be...!?"

Yuji smiled in semi-self-deprecation.

"I really must apologize. I've been a bit... dishonest. You only trapped a doppelganger made of flames... In other words, you went after a fake this whole time. I was standing around a safe distance away, watching how your technique worked."

Eita's mouth fell open in utter disbelief.

"T-then... you mean I..."

Yuji nodded.

"Your Unrestricted Method only absorbed the Power of Existence that lay within my little distraction. And now that I know how your little stunt works..."

With no warning whatsoever, Yuji suddenly sprang into action. With a flash of crimson flames, the Flame Haze was abruptly standing in front of Eita in the timespan of an eyeblink.

"...WHA...!?"

"Tanaka, you dolt! LOOK OUT-"

Before the male Denizen could react, Yuji suddenly lashed out with a rocketing skywards kick. There was a brief ring of impacted metal.

**CLANG!**

Blutsauger spun into the air, kicked out of Eita's hands by Yuji's well-aimed kick. Even as the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt reached upwards in an attempt to recover his weapon, Yuji jumped upwards in a somersault and snatched the huge two-handed sword out of the air.

Landing nimbly on his feet, Yuji grinned and effortlessly flourished the weapon in an elegant, curving arc, settling it onto his shoulder.

"Not bad. It's got good balance and weight. I think I'll borrow it for a second..."

Eita and Ogata could only stare in wide-eyed horror as the Flame Haze lunged forwards, the massive blade of Blutsauger upraised.

* * *

Keisaku swooped around the tower of a nearby skyscraper as he spiralled into a dive. Narrowing his eyes, the Chanter of Elegies suddenly felt another presence lurking from behind.

_...NOW!_

Keisaku dropped into a headlong dive, barely dodging the sudden bolt of green that suddenly flashed into the air, striking the spot where Keisaku's head had been a moment earlier. Landing onto the pavement below with a dusty thud, the Chanter of Elegies looked up to see a figure floating up above.

Keisaku gave a sardonic grin as he got to his feet. "Thousand Strategies" Ike, dressed in a long black duster and heavy leather fingerless gloves, smirked in reply as he adjusted his glasses with a finger. After a brief moment of wordless regard, Ike broke the silence.

"...I was wondering when you'd finally rouse yourself, ladykilling lunchthief. You've been slacking off recently. It's not like you at all."

Keisaku's sardonic grin turned a trifle bitter.

"Don't get cocky, you arrogant little prick of a bookworm. I can still kick your ass up and down this sidewalk on a Sunday. And speaking of little pricks... Isn't that the reason why you have a thing for little girls? Such as, let's say, your current love interest?"

Marcosius broke into bawdy, raucous laughter.

Ike's face darkened and twisted with sudden rage behind his eyeglasses.

"...You... Don't you DARE speak about my Kazumi in that fashion!"

Without any further preamble, Ike brought up a gloved hand. A huge, massive ball of sickly green energies congealed in his palm. A single gesture, and the gigantic orb of emerald hue slammed into the pavement as Keisaku barely sidestepped the attack.

Ike wasted no time in following up with a screaming, arcing dive that took him on a direct collision course with the Chanter of Elegies. There was a cloud of flying debris and dust as Ike crashed into Keisaku. As the dust settled from the impact, the clearing view showed a massive beast. The body of a lion, and the head of a wrathful, leering demon.

A sphinx.

One of its outstretched paws was tightly grasping Keisaku's comparatively tiny form. The Chanter of Elegies didn't even bother to struggle as Ike's voice floated through the silence of the Coffin Stadium's seal.

"How disappointing. All that big talk, and you can't even put up a proper fight."

Keisaku gave a strange, cynical grin as he replied.

"Pfft. Only too true. I'm not exactly in a fighting mood at the moment. A pity. We could have had a great brawl."

"Yes... too bad. Well, cheers."

With those words, Ike suddenly threw Keisaku into the side of a nearby skyscraper. A second later, a huge beam of green light suddenly burst forth from the mouth of Ike's sphinx-form, crashing into Keisaku with powerful violence before exploding outwards into a shower of concrete and steel debris.

Deep within his sphinx-form, "Thousand Strategies" Ike smirked and adjusted his glasses with a finger as he spoke into the silence.

"...Rest in hell, Chanter of Elegies. May you have fun in the Inferno."

Wings sprouted from the sphinx's back, and the Denizen flew off into the sky of sickly yellow.

* * *

Had Ike truly bothered to double-check his handiwork, he would have found, much to his chagrin, that the Chanter of Elegies was far from dead.

Deep within the rubble of the ruined skyscraper, Keisaku coughed and struggled to his feet. Marcosius' voice was oddly lacking in vicious glee as he spoke.

"You all right? That was quite a nasty hit you took. 'Course, could have been worse if you hadn't substituted in that fake double of yours at the last minute."

Keisaku groaned and dusted himself off as he nodded.

"Quite. Man, I'm beat. Well, that's all I've got. The rest is up to that katana-swinging brat and that goody two-shoes of a Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

Lifting the bookmark to his ear, the Chanter of Elegies quietly spoke.

"...Hey, you there?"

The only response in reply was dead silence. Somewhat taken aback, Keisaku spoke again into the bookmark.

"Hey, Margery, are you there?! Answer me!"

Marcosius' voice quietly cut in.

"That's not going to help. She's been out of contact for awhile."

The Chanter of Elegies' eyes widened.

"What?! You mean...!"

Marcosius chuckled grimly, but said nothing.

Keisaku half-heartedly shook the Grimoire as he uncharacteristically gave weak and soft-voiced protest.

"Y-you... you can't possibly be... serious... That's... not fair..."

Marcosius' voice was half-comforting, half-mocking as he spoke.

"What do you expect? Sitting around on your lazy ass all this time, claiming you were nothing but an 'empty shell', bemoaning your fate, never doing anything... And then you expect her to be safe? You're a Flame Haze, for crying out loud..."

Keisaku gritted his teeth.

"What, and you expect me NOT to be like this? Spending all this time, chasing after the Silver, almost having her within reach one moment, only to see her vanish from our clutches the next!? What good is my life if I can't have my stupid revenge!?"

Marcosius was silent for a long moment. When he finally did speak, his words were almost inaudible.

"...Is that what you really want? Then you better shape up your act."

The Chanter of Elegies' next words were muted, but they echoed all too loudly in his head.

"So... the only place to go when you've hit the bottom of the abyss... is up, eh?"

Marcosius chuckled dryly.

"Where else?"

The wreckage of the demolished office building exploded outwards into a million flying fragments of concrete and steel. The purple-furred form of Keisaku's Toga roared with fury. Even as the Chanter of Elegies burst out of the debris and reverted back into his human form, his eyes suddenly settled upon a familiar figure, dressed in purple, running up the street towards them.

Keisaku blinked in uncomfortable surprise.

"H-hey... you're alive!?"

The Chanter of Elegies shot Marcosius an accusing glance.

"You... you said...!"

Marcosius laughed in mischievous glee.

"Hoohawhaw! I said nothing, except that we were out of contact, which was completely true! _You're_ the one who took it to mean that she was dead! Hahahaha!"

Margery Daw raised an eyebrow as she slowed her approach and walked up to the pair.

"You're all right? Hmph. I guess I worried over nothing, then."

Keisaku said nothing, instead simply electing to quietly grumble and turn away wordlessly. After a brief moment of silence, Margery began to approach closer, but Marcosius' voice broke in with a clear note of warning.

"Ah, it's probably better if you didn't approach him at the moment. Hehehehe... He's a bit miffed... and dangerous for the moment. He'll probably be more pliable to your feminine charms after this whole messy business is over."

The Misaki High English teacher simply shrugged and turned to leave.

"Well then, I guess I'm not needed here after all. I'll get back to the Crystal Altar then. Oh, but just one thing..."

A note of curiosity in his eyes, Keisaku turned back to Margery. Her own eyes glinting with mischief, the teacher winked.

"...Don't you dare lose."

Keisaku settled for giving a vague grunt as he leapt off into the air. Marcosius laughed wildly as the Chanter of Elegies flashed back into the bestial form of his Toga.

"Hawhahahahahaw! To think... that you could be..."

Within the depths of his eldritch form, Keisaku gritted his teeth and snarled out a single line.

"Shut up. Not another word. Not _another_ word."

However, a moment later, a small, almost imperceptible smile flashed across the face of the Chanter of Elegies.

* * *

Shana looked up at the bridge tower. It seemed to stretch upwards in an infinite plane of mocking altitude. Narrowing her eyes, the Mystes looked about for a way to reach her goal.

* * *

The city street roared with waves of blistering, roiling flame. Standing within the eye of the firestorm was Yuji, the Flame Haze. Then, with sudden and unexpected violence, the flames dissipated under a backwash of sickly yellow energy.

Leaping backwards into a somersault, Yuji hefted Blutsauger into a guarded stance as he stared in disbelief at the two figures that stood before him. Eita, the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt, staggered to his feet... Or where his feet would have been. The lower halves of his legs had vanished. Behind him stood Ogata, her eyes wide with shock.

Yuji hefted Blutsauger over his shoulder as he gave the two Denizens a long, searching appraisal. After a moment's study, he then turned to the One Engulfed in Self-Doubt.

"...I have to admit, I'm impressed. You actually went and did it. You spent your own Power of Existence to protect her."

Yuji then gave the Denizen's dissipated lower appendages a pointed look.

"I'm not sure you'll have enough Power of Existence within you to do it again, though. In that case-"

Before the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter could continue, however, his words were suddenly interrupted by a shriek of pure, unadulterated rage and hate.

It had come from Eita's female counterpart.

The One Engulfed in Doubting Others continued to scream in hateful rage as she suddenly charged forwards, a ball of flashing and pulsing yellow energy accumulating in an outstretched hand.

"YOU... YOU HURT TANAKA...!!!"

Taken aback in surprise, Yuji's reaction was belated. The next moment, a huge stadium lightpost burst forth from the ball of yellow energy in Ogata's hand, slamming hard into the Flame Haze with all the force of a metropolitan city bus at full speed. However, the blow wasn't enough. Quickly recovering with a vaulting jump, Yuji simply responded by stretching out a hand of his own. Hungry flames of crimson burst forth in a wave of consuming fire.

Ogata abruptly stopped and flinched in mid-charge. Eita yelled in dismayed alarm.

"Oga-chan...!!"

* * *

Shana grimaced as she tried to reach the bottom rung of the service ladder that was affixed to the side of the bridge tower, with little success. Shana was just too short. Cursing, the female Mystes dusted off her hands and glared up at the structure.

"How the heck am I supposed to get up that thing!? This is so frust-"

Shana's monologue was suddenly and violently interrupted by a huge, clawed paw that looked like it belonged to an overgrown lion.

Shana's voice exploded in a strange mixture of a shriek and a grunt as a clawed paw of Ike's "spinx-form" slammed her into the side of the bridge tower. Before she could even recover her bearings, however, the leonine facial features of her assailant receded into the more human countenance of Ike's preferred guise.

"Hmph... And what are YOU doing here? A Mystes, freely walking about within the limits of the Seal? Well, whatever it is you've got in there, I think I'll go ahead and take a little peek..."

Shana didn't even have time to open her mouth to scream, to shout in protest and refusal. A gloved hand plunged into her chest, digging, searching...

The female Mystes couldn't help but choke in dismayed pain. It felt... almost as if she were being raped, or at the very least, sexually molested. But she could do nothing. Couldn't bring up her katana to fend for herself, couldn't kick her assailant away. All she could do was squirm about helplessly in the Denizen's iron grip.

Ike's eyes suddenly widened in shock as his questing hand fell upon the object of his search.

"Y-you...!! This... this is...!!"

Then his eyes narrowed in gleeful satisfaction.

"Well, it's mine now-"

Before his hand could draw out his prize, however, a blurred mass of purple fur and ivory fangs bulled into him with the force of a missile.

"SURPRISE!"

Shana shook her head in stunned disorientation as the Chanter of Elegies slammed Thousand Strategies over the bridge railing and into the Mana River. Even as the Denizen fell into the waters below, Keisaku simply jumped in after him, singing a gleeful stanza.

_"A penny saved, a penny earned! A penny wasted, a notebook burned!"_

Marcosius' voice could be heard in mirthful rejoinder.

_"Book burnings, book burnings! Count your wages and count your earnings!"_

A volley of purple fireballs slammed into Ike, sending him keeling over with a splash. Even while Shana looked on in amazement, a blast of yellow light suddenly shot forth from out of nowhere towards her. Shana threw her arms up in an instinctive effort to protect herself, but it was completely pointless.

Azure, the Fire-Repelling Ring, simply gleamed once and did its job once more. The yellow blast dissipated. Blinking in some surprise and quite a bit of relief, Shana then noticed two figures flying towards her and the bridge... and a third figure following after them, wings of flame glowing and blazing from his back like two fiery contrails as he lunged forwards, a huge two-handed sword in hand. Shana couldn't help but smile as she recognized the latter in hot pursuit of the first two.

"Yuji...!!"

Yuji similarly noticed Shana as well and smiled down to her in relief.

"Shana!"

The Flame Haze rocketed towards her, spiralling past the two Denizens and grabbing up her hand in a fierce grip as they both then flew up the sheer face of the bridge tower. In another moment, the two of them alit onto the tower's apex and spotted their goal.

* * *

Back in the Mana River, things were going very badly for "Thousand Strategies" Ike. Having been subjected to a series of successive, painful blows from the Chanter of Elegies, the Crimson Denizen was simply struggling to keep up. In desperation, the Denizen unleashed a blast of green fire at the purple-furred Flame Haze.

Keisaku simply split his Toga form into a circling mob of doppelgangers. Even as Ike tried to identify his real target, another chanting line came from the Flame Haze.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...!"

Marcosius continued the line.

"...Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!"

The circling doubles suddenly flashed into a punishing volley of indigo fireballs, slamming into Ike. Gritting his teeth, Ike looked up to the bridge.

_Urgh... this is bad. Wait..._

His eyes caught a burst of crimson flame.

_The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter!?_

Before his thoughts could proceed any further, however, Keisaku burst out of the water, his bestial form slamming downwards onto Ike's head with a double-fisted punch.

"GOTCHA!"

Ike roared with pain, grimacing as the ugly truth reared itself in his mind.

_Damn it... I can't protect those two anymore. The Doubting Couple's going to end up a statistic. Time for me to take my leave..._

Quickly shifting his bodily form into an octopoid form, the Denizen quickly made his downstream retreat with a few quick bursts of water propulsion.

Keisaku could only stare and blink as he watched "Thousand Strategies" make his exit.

"'Thousand Strategies'... is retreating...?"

* * *

Shana looked slightly taken aback as she narrowly regarded the device that was lying atop the tower's zenith.

"That's... the Treasure, isn't it?"

Yuji tilted his head slightly in puzzled fascination.

"Yeah, it should be... but it looks like it's been slightly... altered."

Shana shook her head as she continued to stare at the eldritch device.

"It looks like an MP3 player. Honestly, a Treasure with a modern motif? That's weird..."

A female voice interrupted in explanation.

"...I thought it looked kind of tacky as an old music box."

Ogata and Eita landed in front of them. Shana couldn't help but notice that the male Denizen's legs were just about gone. The female Denizen didn't look much better. Both of them had obviously taken quite a beating at Yuji's hands. Yuji gave the MP3 player a final glance before turning to Ogata.

"So... this is the thing keeping the entire Unrestricted Method going, eh?"

The One Engulfed in Doubting Others nodded, her breath labored and weary.

"It's... quite handy. No matter how complicated the original spell... or Method might be, once it is entered into this device, it can be flawlessly played... or replicated over and over again, without any further need of effort on our part."

Yuji brought up the Blutsauger.

"Well... I'm afraid I can't permit it to go on. Sorry."

Eita and Ogata could only look on helplessly as Yuji brought up the Blutsauger... and unleashed a massive wave of crimson flame in the direction of the Treasure and its two owners.

* * *

The sky of sickly yellow receded into the crimson tones of a normal Seal. Yuji surveyed the damage with a critical eye as he sighed and rested Blutsauger point-downwards into the asphalt.

"Quite a bit of damage. We've got a lot of work on our hands."

Keisaku showed up a moment later, riding in on Marcosius.

"True, but those two gathered up quite a bit of Power of Existence while they were running loose. There's enough here to make sure that everything's brought back to normal. Speaking of normality..."

Keisaku raised an eyebrow as he looked over to a familiar-looking pair standing nearby. Ogata and Eita still had disbelieving looks on their faces. Shaking his head, the Chanter of Elegies looked back over to his fellow Flame Haze. Shana finished his sentence, a similar look of disapproval on her own features.

"...Are you sure it's a good idea to let them live?"

* * *

_A few moments earlier..._

The two Denizens blinked in shock and unexpected surprise. They'd had every reason and every right to believe that they were destined to fade away into oblivion at the hands of Yuji's fiery attack. Instead, the Flame Haze simply stood in front of them, smiling as he always did. One of his hands clutched the Treasure that had caused so much trouble.

Eita was the first one who broke the silence.

"...Why?"

Yuji remained silent for a moment longer, then gave his reply.

"I just didn't want to."

He then turned to Ogata as he smiled and directed his words to Eita.

"Besides, you just acted because you wanted to prove to yourself that you could protect the one most precious to you, right?"

The two Denizens blushed up a storm. Eita stammered.

"W-well, y-yeah..."

Yuji's smile only got wider.

"I'd say you proved it well enough. And if the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter says so, shouldn't that be as good as trying to _be_ the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter?"

The One Engulfed in Self-Doubt reluctantly nodded.

"I... I guess..."

Yuji chuckled as he tossed Ogata the MP3 player. The One Engulfed in Doubting Others raised an eyebrow as she caught it.

"What are you...?"

The Flame Haze spoke.

"I've made a few... changes to the device. I've now permanently looped it into your own Power of Existence. So long as you don't tamper with the settings or attempt to cast any more Unrestricted Methods, you won't need to take any more Power of Existence."

Before the two could speak, however, Yuji's countenance abruptly turned serious as he raised a warning hand.

"Let me remind you, however... this is the last chance you two have. There's only enough Power of Existence inside the device to keep you two going. If you two attempt to try and cast an Unrestricted Method... well, let's just say you won't have any chance to do so. I made sure of that."

Just as quickly, Yuji smiled again.

"Live out your lives peacefully, all right? I don't think living your lives as two ordinary humans is a bad thing."

A tentative, replying smile slowly formed on Eita's still-shocked features. Ogata, however, couldn't help but grumble.

"Hmph. I doubt it."

Yuji suddenly gave the Blutsauger in his hands another experimental swing.

"Oh, and by the way... Sorry to be rude, but I think I'll borrow this a little bit longer."

* * *

Yuji chuckled as he and Shana arrived back at Misaki High.

"So, that's that. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on those two and make sure they don't get into any trouble. Anyway, the Seal's about to dissipate, so let's not waste any time getting back to where we were."

Suddenly, a curious look stole over Yuji's face.

"By the way, Shana... where were you when that Unrestricted Method first popped up?"

Not really thinking, Shana gave automatic reply.

"Talking with _Miss Convent_."

"Oh? Miss Hecate? What for?"

Abruptly realizing the situation, Shana's face turned bright red.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!"

"B-but..."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Yuji shrugged and smiled.

"All right, then. See you later."

As Shana turned to leave, however, Yuji suddenly turned back to the female Mystes.

"Oh, Shana! I almost forgot..."

Shana looked back, a puzzled look on her face.

"Huh...?"

A slight tinge of red stole over Yuji's cheeks.

"Y-you know... You did really well back there, finding those Rinne and helping to take out that Unrestricted Method. So... erm... I'm going to give you a reward, all right?"

Shana, wide-eyed, suddenly turned bright red as her mind began to race to the image that had formed in her brain before the two of them had set out earlier.

_Wait... you don't mean... Yuji's going to...!? A... k... k.. K-KISS!?"_

Stammering and fidgeting, Shana looked away for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes and nodded as she turned to Yuji expectantly.

Slowly taking her hands, Yuji leaned forwards...

...and placed a paper bag in Shana's hands. Opening her eyes in shock, Shana looked down at the packet nestled in her fingers. Inside the bag was a whole, perfect bun of fresh melon bread. Yuji gave Shana a warm smile as he spoke.

"It's the very best. I took a brief side-trip to the outskirts of town to find it. Eat it quick, it's still warm, all right?"

Even as Yuji turned to leave, however, he suddenly stopped in surprise as Shana murmured a single line.

"...I'm not quite satisfied..."

Yuji blinked.

"Huh?"

"I'm not satisfied, IDIOT! I don't want THIS reward! I want... I want... I WANT THIS!"

Blushing up a storm, Shana suddenly reaching up with both hands, grabbed Yuji by the ears, jerked his head downwards... and locked lips with him.

Unfortunately, Yuji had been holding onto Blutsauger at that moment. Eyes wide in shock, he dropped the heavy weapon onto his toes.

* * *

Time marched on once more. On top of the school roof, the two girls regarded eachother narrowly. Hecate spoke first.

"So... you've kissed him as well."

Shana fiercely nodded. "That's right!"

Hecate nodded back.

"Very well. May the best woman win."

Hecate turned and left. A gleeful, victorious grin popped up on Shana's face as she produced a paper bag from behind her back and pulled out the huge loaf of melon bread that Yuji had given her earlier. Opening her mouth wide, Shana took a huge bite.

"Mmmf... Smrch... She... mmrfh... doesn't... mmnch... stand a chance... smnch... So... mmrpgh... delicious!"

* * *

The Writer of Questionable Stories poked a head out of the ruins of his desk.

"...Is she gone?"

"Finally gone. No thanks to you. Took you long enough, I might add. If you hadn't added that part in at the last moment, I swear... we would have both been kissing Hell's Gates at this moment."

The Writer of Questionable Stories grimaced as he stepped over a squashed carton of guava juice and shook his head.

"Women..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	14. Chapter 104: A Strange Mother

**ColinatorGX:** Thanks for the praise; You're being too kind. XD That's definitely a long review. Hmm... Where to start... Yes, next chapter is when Chigusa shows up, although I think the action in this small "prequel" arc won't really heat up until Chapter 15. The story's probably going to diverge from the original plot a lot from here on in. And yes, I think we can all safely conclude that it was Shana who was holding the Writer of Questionable Stories and his associate at swordpoint. As for Yuji's potential harem- I mean, "love interests", I think we could safely say that their personalities would definitely be unsafe for Yuji should they ever chance across enough alcohol to become seriously drunk.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Thank you. As for Tenmoku Ikko, there most likely will be no need for a replacement, as Yuji will likely be fighting without a weapon in the beginning. And as for Yuri... yes, that's a LONG ways away. Kazumi's signature move will probably have a different name. Koe? The Japanese word for "Star"? And even though both Hecate and Shana have now stolen Yuji's lips, I doubt much will change at the moment, other than a distinct increase in discomfort and unease for our hapless male Flame Haze.

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Thanks again. :3 Yes, the Doubting Couple (Tanaka and Ogata) will make future appearances. I personally decided not to get rid of them primarily because it would leave a huge hole to have them gone. And yes, the oncoming storyline from here on will start to be quite different from the original.

**CapoExecutor:** Thanks. It didn't feel right to kill off Tanaka and Ogata. Kazumi probably wouldn't really bat an eyelash. I think Fujita might take Khamsin's place as Flame Haze, but I'm not sure how to fit in Nakamura.

**ryoukei-aya16:** Many thanks.

**Gazing on the Arabesque:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. :3

* * *

"So what's the problem now?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled as he stared at the pile of tattered and guava juice-stained documents that graced the top of his desk.

"Incredibly large displacement error. Instead of HER, we've got HIM. Not to mention a massive character device shift. The damage may be irreversible."

"...Sometimes, I wonder what made your brain manifest that stupid idea to start writing stories in the first place."

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled some more as he looked away and pouted.

"Shut up."

* * *

****

SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?

Chapter 104: A Strange Mother

* * *

A smirking grin of carefully concealed glee and excitement slowly crept over the features of "Thousand Strategies" Ike as he sat within the shadowy depths of the Palace of Stars, the headquarters of the Denizen organization Bal Masque.

"Amazing... after all this time... it's... it's finally here. There's no doubt that it's indeed what we've been searching for these countless cycles. My lovely Kazumi, can you imagine what this means!?"

Sitting across from Ike was a young girl with short brown hair, dressed in ornately decorated white robes and matching decorative cap. Despite Ike's words, however, she said nothing.

* * *

"...And that's that. The Torches are finished."

The red hues of the Seal faded back into normalcy as time resumed its inexorable march. Another marauding Denizen had been dealt with, and the damage had been contained. Yuji exhaled heavily as he slumped onto a nearby bench. Shana shook her head in slight annoyance.

"Honestly, why are you so insistent that you use your own when you've got a sufficient amount right here?"

Shana briefly tapped herself to indicate the focus of her words. Yuji smiled up at Shana weakly.

"I just... don't like doing it. That's all."

Shana blushed, pouted, and looked away as she took a seat on the bench next to him.

"Hmph. Idiot..."

* * *

__

I've been hanging about that pervert stalker Yuji for quite a while now. Things are still the same in many ways, even after that day when I grabbed him by the ears and... well, let's just say he's still clueless as always. He never mentions the kiss. Hmph! Perverted idiot. Doesn't he realize just why I... well, I don't dare voice these thoughts of mine out loud. And yet, even with all the time I've spent alongside him, fighting off Denizens and training, there's still very little I really know about this clueless pervert stalker of a Flame Haze.

In fact, the only two things I really know for sure are that he's a clueless Flame Haze (Which is painfully obvious no matter how you slice it), and that he absolutely refuses to use anyone else's Power of Existence except his own (Or if I press the issue enough, mine) to repair any damage to this world whenever there's a battle within the confines of the Seal.

The first one I can understand... The second one... I can't. Even though I don't say it out loud, to see him constantly attempting to sacrifice himself for the sake of everyone else... It tears me up inside. It makes me want to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into that tiny little perverted brain of his.

I just want him to stop and be selfish on occasion. He's got a duty as a Flame Haze, yeah, but... Does he always have to be so damn **selfless** whenever he does it!? How did he get like this anyway!? It's like there's something that's holding him back, that terrifies him from using anyone else's Power of Existence...

...What could it be? Or is it... **who** could it be?

* * *

__

Another time, another place...

The skies were a calm blue. Clouds rolled lazily on the endless canvas of azure, framing the massive, cathedral-like structure that floated amongst them on a huge mass of floating earth.

It was another typical day in the Palace of Heaven's Road. The quiet that wrapped the massive edifice like a curtain was occasionally split by a few enthusiastic yells, followed up by a few surprised yelps of pain.

Yuji sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck as he stared up at the figure standing in front of him. The masked visage, obscured by shadow and strategically-placed strips of cloth, simply gave a gesture with a jerk of the head.

__

Again.

Yuji jumped to his feet and lunged.

* * *

"Ah, Chigusa. Well, how is he?"

The petite, brown-haired woman smiled happily as she spoke to the fiery manifestation of Alastor that sat within the bowl-shaped hearth that graced the center of the huge chamber.

"Yuji's doing well, Flame of Heaven. Happy, carefree, and cheerful as always. The spitting image of a well-raised son. He's definitely Kantaro's boy."

There was a brief grunt of satisfied approval. Alastor's voice then changed slightly in tone, almost as if it were becoming slightly interrogative.

"...What about his training and his studies?"

Chigusa's face took on a slightly comical expression of exaggerated worry.

"Well, now that you mention it..."

* * *

"Owch!"

Groaning, Yuji rubbed at his bruised backside as he slowly got regained his footing. The imposing figure standing in front of him shook his head in disappointed disgust, his arms crossed in casual contempt.

"Tch. You've been slacking off on your training, kid! If your father were alive, he'd weep with shame at how low you're dragging his family name through the dirt! Shape up!"

Yuji groaned again as he forced himself back into a guarded fighting stance.

"Give me a break, Sabrac... You're always going all-out on me every waking moment I've got. Can't you go a little bit easier on me?"

Sabrac shoved his face into Yuji's. The young boy couldn't help but flinch.

"NO!"

* * *

"...He does show less enthusiasm for his martial training than one might expect for a potential candidate. He IS doing well on his studies, however. Yuji shows an excellent affinity for strategic and tactical planning."

"I can only expect that Sabrac is attending to what Yuji's training leaves to be desired. He's quite fond of him."

Alastor chuckled.

"Perhaps a little too fond. I think I can hear him handing your son a few new lumps right now."

"Oh my... Well, it seems I should step out and make sure that his godfather doesn't go too hard on him."

Yuji's mother turned to leave. As she did so, however, a questioning note entered Alastor's voice.

"Shouldn't you leave the two of them alone, Specialist of Everything? A few lickings at Sabrac's hands should be good for the boy's character."

Chigusa smiled apologetically at Alastor as she reached the door.

"...I'm his mother. It's only natural for me to always be worried about his safety."

* * *

"Ooof!"

Yuji tumbled backwards onto the grass, his face bruised and scratched at the beating he'd received from Sabrac's training session. Yuji's godfather-designate crossed his arms as he looked over his young charge.

"Get up, kid. I'm not through with you yet."

"My... you're being awfully rough on my son today, Sabrac."

Sabrac quickly spun around, his suddenly awkward poise clearly showing his abrupt embarrassment as he stared over at Yuji's mother, standing a short distance away.

"Ah... erm... Chigusa. Do you... need something?"

Chigusa gave Sabrac a sweet smile that was a strange mixture of affection and warning.

"Oh, not much... just seeing how my son is doing. Is he doing well?"

"Ah, well... quite well..."

Yuji rubbed at his sore backside as he got to his feet.

"Mom... Couldn't you tell Sabrac to go a little bit easier on me? He's taking things a little too seriously..."

"Ah, but we can't afford to do that. You're going to be the next Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, after all. Everyone needs you to be in top form."

Yuji rolled his eyes as he mumbled.

"...So I can be a 'hero', right?"

Chigusa smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Back to work with you."

Sabrac looked over to Yuji.

"You heard the lady, kid. Put your back into it!"

Chigusa turned to Sabrac.

"Ah, one more thing, Sabrac..."

"Y-yes?"

Chigusa gave Sabrac a huge, happy smile as she spoke.

"If you happen to permanently damage my son... I'll kill you."

Both Sabrac and Yuji loudly gulped.

* * *

"...So where does it hurt?"

"Ah, erm... the lower-left side of the ribcage. I think Sabrac got a little over-enthusiastic about the training today."

Yuji's mother gently tapped the section of the torso Yuji was indicating with a slim finger. Her son couldn't help but flinch.

"Oh my... that's quite a beating you took. Hand me the bandages and medicine, would you?"

Yuji wordlessly handed them over. As Chigusa went to work, the young boy rubbed at the back of his head and spoke.

"Hey, mom... what's the outside world like?"

Chigusa didn't reply for a long, long moment. When she finally did speak, Yuji couldn't help but notice that the tone in her voice was intermingled with both joy and sorrow.

"...It's a huge place. So many things to do, to see... to learn."

"So... is it anything at all like what's in my textbooks?"

"Mmm... in a way. But there's going to be a lot of things in the world that you'll just have to learn on your own once you're out there. Things that no textbook can ever teach you."

"...Such as?"

Chigusa smiled.

"How to deal with people. How to make friends. And how to get yourself a pretty girl."

Yuji turned crimson and spluttered with embarrassment.

"M-mom!"

"Don't squirm so much, Yuji. Raise your arms. That's it. And... done."

Pinning up the bandages, Chigusa stepped away and handed Yuji his shirt.

"There we go. You'll be just fine tomorrow morning. Get some sleep now. You've got more training and studies ahead of you tomorrow."

As Yuji climbed into bed, nestling his head between his arms as he looked up at the ceiling, he suddenly turned to his mother as she was about to leave.

"Hey, mom."

"Hmm?"

"...Can you tell me that old story again... The one about the Crimson-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter?"

Chigusa turned quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke.

"Couldn't Alastor tell you?"

"...I just like it better when _you_ talk about Dad."

* * *

A few hours later, after Yuji was fast asleep and the Palace of Heaven's Road had settled for the night, Chigusa quietly walked back to her room and opened the door. On top of her dresser was an old, battered photograph, set into an oaken picture frame.

Two figures graced the image which Chigusa picked up and looked over fondly. After another moment however, the affectionate smile on her face slowly changed into a worried expression of anxious concern.

"Dear... how much time do we have left? I'm not sure I can keep Yuji confined to the Palace of Heaven's Road much longer, or whether it's even wise to try."

* * *

Overlooking the city where the Palace of Heaven's Road held its temporary residence, a strange, spectral figure stood, gazing down at the cityscape below. Clothes floated where a body should have framed them, but the body of the figure was incorporeal. The clothes had an antique cut; almost gaudy in its European design.

"I'm almost there... Almost there! Just a little longer... and I'll finally find the Palace of Heaven's Road!"

A moment later, a motorcyclist with a peculiar-looking helmet appeared. The spectral figure bit back a curse as he recognized his visitor.

"Damn... 'Drifting Eye'!"

The motorcyclist stopped his vehicle and dismounted. He giggled as he approached the spectre.

"Greetings, 'Thousand Ordinances'... Or should I just be casual and call you Orgon?"

"Goddammit, Vine! Why are you here!?"

"Orders from on high... Straight from Master 'Thousand Strategies' Ike himself. He's getting impatient, Thousand Ordinances. You've been taking too long in finding your target. We ARE here to find and hunt down Flame Haze, you know. Even _your _subordinates have managed to find and fulfill their own quotas. Why haven't you?"

Orgon made a violent motion with his hands.

"I've already found one! I'm tracking the Flame Haze as we speak... It is within the city... Now leave me be! If you interrupt me now, I'll lose my quarry!"

Vine cackled and rubbed his hands.

"Ohhh? Maybe I should help you out then... Wait right here. Heeheeheehee..."

Vine quickly turned and resumed his seat on the motorbike. A second later found him speeding on down the road towards the city. Orgon clenched his hands as he watched Vine leave.

"Fool... And while you're busy chasing shadows, I'll collect the _real_ prize right here! I'm so close to finding the Palace of Heaven's Road! The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter... I'll prevent you from ever walking the world once more! I'll find that destined seedling... and crush it with my two hands! Mistress Kazumi... watch over your humble servant!"

* * *

"Well then, I'll be heading out then, Alastor."

"Mmm. Hurry back and be careful, Specialist of Everything. Denizens have recently been stepping up their attacks on Flame Haze. We don't want to attract undue attention... Especially when the contract is very close to being created."

Chigusa noddded and gave a cheerful smile.

"I understand, Alastor. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

She then turned to her son.

"Yuji..."

"Yes, mom?"

"Be a good boy and don't give Alastor or Sabrac any trouble. Your lunch is on the table. Be sure to heat it up in the microwave before you eat it."

"Yes, mom."

* * *

The day in the city market was once again idyllic and peaceful. Chigusa was busily engaged in hunting down several good bargains on meat, vegetables, and housewares.

"Hmmm... those should be good. Yuji always likes curry... That growing boy has quite the appetite."

A deadpan voice suddenly chimed in from the ribbon tied around Chigusa's hair.

"Be frugal."

"My, Tiamat, don't be so taciturn. Besides, this food is very necessary for Yuji's nutrition. It won't do to raise him on nothing but instant noodles and junk food."

"Lack of caution."

Chigusa smiled.

"There is no need to worry so much, Tiamat. It would do you some good to relax on occasion."

Suddenly, the voice from Chigusa's Crimson Lord heightened slightly in intensity as Tiamat spoke again.

"...Warning."

Chigusa looked up from her perusal of the vegetable bin in front of her and frowned slightly.

"Oh my... It finally seems that we have some trouble in front of us. But first..."

Without any urgency, Chigusa calmly picked out several vegetables from the bin and walked over to the checkout stand. A brief moment later, the groceries were paid for and Chigusa unhurriedly walked out of the market.

* * *

Yuji patiently sat in front of the microwave oven as he waited for his lunch to finish re-heating.

__

Hmm... How am I going to brush up on my training? Sabrac's always kicking my butt. Well... should I...?

Suddenly, a popping, splattering noise came from the microwave. Yuji blinked in horror as his eyes looked up at the timer on the said appliance and registered his mistake.

"Oh no! The timer! I pushed the "0" one time too many!"

* * *

Chigusa stopped in mid-walk as the figure appeared before her. Even with the figure of "Drifting Eye" Vine menacingly perched on the seat of his thrumming roadhog, however, Chigusa's cheerful smile never faltered.

"My... it seems that we have a guest today."

Vine giggled through the visor of his motorcycle helmet.

"Indeed! And it seems that I've found an exceptional hostess as well! It's been a long time... Chigusa Sakai, 'Specialist of Everything'!"

Chigusa's smile only grew wider.

"Quite. I'd love to stay and chat, Vine, but I have household duties to attend to. Can we continue this at another time?"

Vine revved the engine of his motorbike, causing it to jet in front of Chigusa and block her escape. The Denizen wagged a finger.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go, my dear Flame Haze. Especially since I've now found you."

Chigusa chuckled slightly as she set down the groceries and suddenly took a very different stance in her footing.

"How unfortunate."

* * *

Yuji groaned as he looked at the remains of the formerly-delicious lunch that his mother had left for him.

"Oh great... there goes my food. Well, guess I should just go outside and train then. Hmm... How am I going to beat Sabrac?"

Suddenly, an idea came to Yuji as he stared down at the plate of ruined food that lay before him.

* * *

Sabrac walked into the kitchen, rubbing his stomach in avid hunger as he looked around. It was then that his eye caught the figure of Yuji, sitting in a chair with his back turned. The microwave was running. By all appearances, the young boy was fast asleep. Sabrac disgustedly shook his head and walked over as he raised an arm in preparation for giving Yuji a good thumping.

"Well... you snooze, you lose-"

"Ha!"

Yuji suddenly sprang out of his chair as the timer on the microwave suddenly hit zero, In an instant, the door of the microwave suddenly exploded outwards. Sabrac, taken unawares by the unexpected ploy, coughed and scrabbled wildly at the billowing plume of smoke that poured out from the ruined frame of the fried microwave.

Sabrac coughed as he fought his way clear of the fumes.

"Damn it, kid! Your mother's going to be pissed when she sees what you did to the microwave!"

Yuji laughed.

"True, but I think giving up today's lunch is a small price to pay for beating you today!"

Even as Yuji spoke, the young boy leaped out of the thick haze of smoke and lunged forwards with an outstretched fist. The blow made contact with Sabrac's face, sending him flying and crashing through a nearby glass window. Yuji's godfather landed with a heavy thud on the grass outside.

"Ooof!"

Yuji jumped through the casement of the ruined window after Sabrac, who was now regaining his footing.

"I finally got you today, Sabrac!"

At that moment, an old, hibernating memory suddenly flashed up in Sabrac's aged mind.

* * *

__

"Hahahahaha...! I finally got you today, Sabrac!"

"Over my disintegrating dead body, Kantaro! You'll never have Chigusa! Never...!!"

* * *

Sabrac snapped. With a roar of long-buried fury, Yuji's godfather reached out with both hands as a huge ball of multicolored fire suddenly formed within the nestling of his fingers.

Yuji's eyes widened in shock. The next moment brought forth a huge, earth-shattering explosion of fire and energy as Sabrac unleashed the energy accumulated in his hands in the form of a devastating beam.

The entire Palace of Heaven's Road trembled and shook from the terrible attack.

* * *

Orgon looked up at the sky in alarm as thunderings and explosions shook the heavens above. In another moment, the protective illusory concealment that had hidden the Palace of Heaven's Road dissipated under Sabrac's violent, berserker fury.

The Denizen of a Thousand Ordinances would have smiled in terrible joy and delight, had his mouth been visible. He simply settled for an ominous chuckle.

"What luck... the Palace of Heaven's Road is right before me...!"

* * *

Down in the streets of the city below, a young girl with long black hair stared up at the floating island above in speechless wonder, her parents staring up in similar shock and bewilderment.

In her hands was an untouched bun of melon bread.

* * *

"Well... this is definitely an interesting twist. The story's undergoing a major displacement shift."

The Writer of Questionable Stories shook his head in disgust.

"There's nothing much that can be done now. Correction of positional displacement's all gone to hell."

"...And yet you still like guava juice?"

"Shut up."

* * *

****

To Be Continued...?


	15. Chapter 2015: Day When The Flame Died

**Writer's Note:** Well, since it's Labor Day, I've had the time on my hands to write two chapters. So have fun. XD

* * *

**Timeless Echolocation:** Yep, I'm going to be doing a chapter on the OVA. Bathing hijinks will ensue.

**CapoExecutor:** That, my friend, is the whole point of Chigusa being a Flame Haze. Smile even when you're shoving a knife down someone's gullet. Yuji always strikes me more as a spellcaster rather than a fighter. And as for the Sabrac from the Shana-tan specials: "That's my .45 magnum!"

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Yep, I've been busy with all of that. I've been trying my best to have Sabrac and Kantaro treat eachother like rivals who harbor a ton of respect for eachother. Have fun reading. And no, Merihim and Wilhelmina aren't Shana's parents here. Just... read on and find out. :3

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Well, you'll find out what Sabrac's Denizen name is soon enough. And no, Merihim's not going to be taking Sabrac's place. I think Mathilde will do better. *Evil laugh* And yes, Tiamat's vessel has been changed. I'm not going to tell you what it's been changed to, however. You'll just have to read to find out. XD Aye, the time between Shana's creation into a Flame Haze and Shana/Yuji's meeting has always been a topic of curiosity for me too. And no, Wilhelmina/Merihim are not Shana's parents here. :P

* * *

"Well, _she_ looked quite happy with the results."

The Writer of Questionable Stories snorted as he flipped over another page in the section he was currently engrossed in correcting.

"That's just because now she's not going to lose to Supreme Throne. Honestly, those girls... I feel sorry for that poor bastard. He's not going to get any breaks no matter how you slice it."

"Speaking of breaks... here comes another continuity split."

There was the sound of a palm smacking a forehead.

"God-DAMN-it."

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 2015: The Day When the Flame Died**

* * *

The crimson shades of a Seal flashed over the city. Even as time stopped, there came a powerful explosion. "Drifting Eye" Vine giggled maniacally as he stretched out a hand. With an almost disparaging gesture, a pair of gigantic, devilish-looking motorbikes suddenly appeared at the Denizen's side. Nodding up at their chromed bulk in satisfaction, Vine crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby tree as he spoke to Chigusa.

"So, 'Specialist of Everything'... how do you like my little beauties? Heeheehee! Have a taste of my trademark special, 'Hell's Angels'!"

Even as their eldritch two-stroke engines roared to life, however, Chigusa simply smiled and reached out with an arm of her own as she leaped to the side. Immediately, a single, graceful ribbon of paper suddenly shot forth from the sleeve of her dress, snaking through the spokes of Vine's summoned motorcycles. Wrapping itself around the post of a nearby traffic signal, the ribbon tore the metal pole out of its concrete foundation and yanked downwards. Chigusa quickly reached back with her arm, causing the ribbon to retract with the signalpost in tow. The results, needless to say, weren't pretty.

**CRASH!**

Both of Vine's "Hell's Angels" were sent sprawling into the asphalt in a crumpled wreck of metal chrome and sputtering pistons. The Drifting Eye could only stare in dumbfounded bewilderment as Chigusa wasted no time in recovering her groceries and dashing out of sight in a gliding sprint. Vine didn't stay shocked for long. Quickly recovering his composure, the Denizen flew into a shrieking rage as he pointed after the rapidly departing female Flame Haze and wildy gesticulated to the two wrecked motorbikes.

"Well, don't just LIE there like a pair of impound lot rejects! GET HER!"

* * *

"Ugh!"

Yuji tumbled to his feet as Sabrac's terrible attack continued to rage down the length of floating ground upon which the Palace of Heaven's Road sat. The young boy had just barely sidestepped the powerful beam, and yet it seemed as if Sabrac was simply too maddened with awakened rage to halt his violent fit.

"DAMN YOU, KANTARO...!! CHIGUSA IS MINE! MINE! YOU HEAR ME...?!!"

Sabrac jumped into the air, a fist upraised to attack as he lunged towards Yuji.

**BOOM!**

Yuji grunted with the force of exertion as he jumped out of the way again. The near-miss from Sabrac's blow made impact with a nearby pillar, reducing it to rubble. Yuji shook his head in stunned disbelief as he watched Sabrac slowly turn around, a maddened expression of intermingled rage, jealousy, and despair clearly visible in his glowing eyes.

"Sabrac!? What the heck's gotten into you!?"

Yuji's godfather didn't answer. At least, not with any spoken words. Instead, his only reply was another outstretched hand. Once again, multicolored fire began to gather and nestle in the palm of his hand. Yuji could only stare at Sabrac helplessly.

"You... you can't be serious..."

Sabrac let loose another blast. It shot forwards towards Yuji... and then continued on past him... to nail another figure that had been sneaking up behind Yuji.

"Thousand Ordinances", the Denizen Orgon, roared in agonizing pain and collapsed to the floor as Sabrac strode forwards. His voice was still laced with maddened rage.

"Stay out of this, interloper! This fight is between Kantaro and myself!"

Yuji blinked in dismayed confusion as he looked down at the Denizen's crumpled figure.

_Denizens, here!? How did he...!?_

Any further thought had to be suspended, however, as Sabrac suddenly lunged again towards Yuji...

"KANTARO...!!"

**SLAP!**

...and then Sabrac stopped dead in his tracks as Chigusa suddenly appeared from a nearby doorway and gave him a forceful slap to the face. Eyes wide, Sabrac turned and looked at Chigusa; his eyes slowly refocusing as if he'd just awakened from a bad dream. Yuji's mother had a decidedly annoyed expression on her face as she spoke.

"...Get a hold of yourself, Sabrac. You've been living in the past again. Wake up. Look around you and see what you've caused."

Sabrac slowly reached up with a trembling hand towards the spot on his face where Chigusa had slapped him.

"Chigusa... I..."

Abruptly, the vexed look on Chigusa's face cleared and reverted towards her characteristically cheerful smile.

"Good morning, Sabrac."

Yuji, realizing that the immediate danger had lessened somewhat, wasted no time in quickly walking up to join them.

"Mom!"

Chigusa turned.

"Ah... it seems that you're safe... although it also seems as if you've been getting yourself into some mischief as well."

The tone in her voice took on a slightly chiding note.

"...That microwave was brand-new, you know."

"Er... I'm sorry."

Chigusa's smile grew wider as she gave her son a hug.

"Well, nothing can be done about that. In any event, it seems that our time's finally run out. It seems that the Denizens of the Crimson Realm have finally found us."

Yuji's voice grew slightly worried.

"So... what do we do now?"

Chigusa smiled.

"...The one thing we've been preparing you for all this time up until now."

The boy's eyes grew wide.

"You mean...!?"

His mother slowly nodded, a vaguely sad look appearing in her eyes as she did so.

"That's right... It's finally time."

Chigusa then turned to Sabrac as she gestured to Orgon's limp form with a small nod.

"Sabrac, could you please keep an eye on this fellow until we return? It is absolutely essential that the establishment of the contract remains undisturbed until its completion."

Yuji's godfather slowly nodded as he turned away.

"I understand. Be safe, Chigusa."

"I will. And... Sabrac?"

Sabrac turned to look back at Yuji's mother.

"Yes?"

"...I'm sorry."

Sabrac chuckled softly as he turned away once more.

"Does it really matter now? I seem to recall that you had your mind all made up a lifetime ago. So why are you apologizing for it now?"

"...Because it seems that you just can't let it go. Even now."

Sabrac's voice turned soft, almost inaudible.

"That's my problem, Chigusa. Not yours. It was never yours. It was never your fault to begin with."

Sabrac never turned around to see whether Chigusa had heard him. He already knew that the two of them had already left before he'd even uttered that last sentence. He then heard groaning coming from nearby.

Orgon was beginning to stir. Even as the Denizen regained consciousness, however, he found himself staring up at a very angry-looking Sabrac standing over him.

* * *

"...Ouch."

"Now, now, stand still..."

Chigusa busied herself with bandanging some of Yuji's scrapes and injuries. As she attended to her son's wounds, however, the young boy standing in front of her spoke.

"...Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Did Dad and Sabrac really fight over you?"

Chigusa said nothing for a long moment. Yuji pressed a bit more.

"Mom? Did they?"

"...They did. A long, long time ago. Back when both of them were young, hot-blooded men. Very much in love, very little in common sense. A Flame Haze and a Denizen, both of them fighting over a human woman."

"But... aren't you a Flame Haze yourself?"

Chigusa chuckled softly.

"Just as perceptive as your father. I see nothing gets by you. Yes, but this happened before I ever became a Flame Haze."

"...What caused you to become one? Why did you-"

Chigusa shushed her son with a finger to his lips.

"Don't worry yourself over that. You'll see enough sorrow and suffering to sate your curiosity in time. And you'll see plenty of that once the contract is established."

Yuji slowly nodded as Chigusa finished the last of the bandaging and got to her feet. Alastor's flame, sitting inside its massive altar, spoke quietly.

"...I trust that we are ready to start?"

Chigusa nodded.

"We are. Let us-"

Before she could continue any further, however, she was suddenly interrupted by a massive explosion that brought down the heavy doors blocking the entryway. Standing in the shattered frame of the portal was a helmeted, bodysuited figure.

Drifting Eye Vine.

At the same instant that he entered the room, his eyes noticed the huge flame sitting inside the bowl of the central altar.

"So that's what's been going on here.... The Flame of Heaven! Curse you, 'Specialist of Everything'! To think that you were attempting to revive the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter! I won't let you! EVER!"

Chigusa only smiled as she turned in the Denizen's direction.

"Alastor..."

"Hmm?"

"It seems that we have an uninvited guest here. Please continue with the ceremony as I attend to our visitor."

"I understand. Please be careful."

Chigusa's smile turned slightly cold as she nodded.

"Always."

She then turned to her son.

"Yuji..."

"Yes, mom?"

Chigusa was silent for a long moment, but then shook her head as she suddenly reached out and grabbed Vine with a length of whipping ribbon, hurling him out the door as she leaped after him.

"Never mind. I'll talk to you after the ceremony. Now hurry. Don't keep Alastor waiting."

Yuji nodded and turned to the altar as the battle outside began.

* * *

Vine staggered to his feet, angrily huffing through his helmet as he glared up at the Specialist of Everything.

"Curse you... Curse you, Specialist of Everything! How dare you interfere! I won't... I WON'T LET YOU REVIVE THE FLAME OF HEAVEN...!"

Chigusa's smile turned downright chilly as she reached for the ribbon that was neatly tied around her hair.

"...My... you're being rather rude. It seems that I'll have to ask you to leave."

Even as she untied the ribbon, Tiamat's voice echoed into the wind.

"Combat mode. Full power."

Chigusa's hair, unbound by the ribbon, transfigured into a curtain of purest white, streaked with lines of crimson. The ribbon snaked down her neck and transfigured into a tiny amulet, upon which dangled the figure of a strange mask.

Vine wildly giggled in an unhinged fashion.

"...I see... so you've finally decided to show yourself, Specialist of Everything. It's too bad that I'll have to spoil all that beauty. Hell's Angels!"

Three more of Vine's gigantic motorbikes suddenly burst forth from the ground, their two-stroke engines roaring a wild battlecry as they charged towards Chigusa. The Specialist of Everything, in response, simply adjusted her footing slightly and stretched out an arm.

In immediate reaction, a portion of Chigusa's hair transformed into several white ribbons and darted forwards, dancing through the air as they snaked into the spokes of Vine's monstrous roadhogs. Quickly wrapping themselves around the wheels and hubs, the intermingling ribbons fouled up the motorbikes' traction, sending them tumbling to the side. Vine took a step back in chagrined dismay.

"Grgh!"

Chigusa smiled as another portion of her hair transformed into a series of ribbons, which then wrapped and molded around themselves into the shape of a huge broadsword.

"...Your move."

* * *

"Urgh!"

Orgon tumbled to the grass as Sabrac launched another brutal kick into his midsection. The Denizen scrabbled at the dirt, trying to regain his footing as he shot Sabrac an accusing glare.

"You...! How can you do this!? Colluding with our greatest enemy, the Flame Haze! And the Flame of Heaven at that! Don't you realize what will happen if you revive the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter!?"

Sabrac, in response, kicked Orgon again as he spoke.

"...To be honest? I don't care. I'm just doing this because I owed someone a favor. That's all. I couldn't care less if the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter returns to walk this world once more."

Orgon spat a curse.

"Damn you! Damn all of you! I... I won't die here! My destiny... my dreams! I won't let you be the one to end them all!"

Sabrac simply walked up and crushed one of Orgon's disembodied hands with a callous grinding of the heel.

"What do I care for your petty dreams or desires? Just die."

In desperation, Orgon reached into the depths of his cloak and pulled out a strange-looking key.

"If I... if I must disappear, then... I'll make all of you disappear with me! You traitorous scum, that infuriating woman, and that cursed boy! I'll make sure that the Flame of Heaven never again walks this world!"

Sabrac's eyes widened as he recognized the object which Orgon had in his hand.

"You... you fool! If you use that here...!!"

Sabrac dashed forwards in an attempt to grab it out of Orgon's grasp, but to no avail. The key flashed once, then split into a multitude of crimson sparks which quickly consumed the unfortunate Orgon. Thousand Ordinances screamed as the Unrestricted Method which sprang forth from the object became his undoing.

"GAAAAAAH...!!"

Having devoured the hapless Denizen in a web of crackling fire, the Unrestricted Method then turned its attention to the ground beneath... the floating ground upon which the Palace of Heaven's Road sat.

* * *

"...Are you prepared? We must hurry. Time is of the essence."

As if to affirm Alastor's statement, the grounds and the Palace itself suddenly began to violently shake.

"It appears that an Unrestricted Method has been cast. I can already feel the Palace of Heaven's Road begin to break apart."

Yuji stepped forwards, then suddenly stopped.

"One moment. There is something that I must ask of you first."

"What is it? Our time grows short."

"How did my dad meet his end? How did he die?"

Alastor was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"...Tenpa Jousai."

"And what is this Tenpa Jousai?"

"A final technique, one that opens up my full manifestation into this world, and thus allows all of my power as Flame of Heaven to be utilized to the fullest. Unfortunately, it also consumes the Flame Haze in the process as I manifest. Your father, Kantaro, used this technique to protect his loved ones to the bitter end."

Yuji said nothing for a while. When he finally spoke, however, there was a touch of newfound resolve within his voice.

"I see. To be honest, for a long time, I'd resented my dad for leaving my mom and me all alone. In connection, I'd also resented you. I'd held this petty little grudge inside me for awhile. But... thank you for telling me, Alastor. I'm fine now."

"So... are you ready."

Yuji nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Then let us begin. I, Alastor, the Flame of Heaven, hereby select you, Yuji, as the instrument of my will on this world."

"I, Yuji, accept this charge. As your Flame Haze, I swear to uphold the balance between the two worlds... and to protect those of this world from the Denizens of the Crimson Realm."

"As for my manifestation of the Cocytus, how do you wish for me to appear?"

"...A keychain, to remind me of the keys which I must always seek to open the doors to knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge of this world, which I lack, and the wisdom to act as a Flame Haze must, which I require."

"Step forth, Yuji."

Without any hesitation, the young man stepped into the bowl of the central altar, and into the fiery manifestation of the Flame of Heaven. Even as he stepped into the flames, Alastor spoke once more.

"As of this moment, you are no longer Yuji... but the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter."

With those words, a small, glowing amulet dangling at the end of a keychain materialized at his waist.

* * *

**SHHHNK!**

The papery broadsword formed of ribbons sliced through another one of Vine's twisted motorcycles, sending it crashing to the ground in two pieces. Vine cursed as he stretched out his arm again.

"Grrgh! I will NOT be thwarted here! Take this! 'Highway 66'!"

This time, instead of a motorcycle, a huge trailer rig suddenly materialized in mid-air, all of its horns blowing as it thudded onto the grass and began speeding towards Chigusa at an out-of-control pace. The Specialist of Everything quickly jumped backwards as she reformed her hair back into ribbons and used them to propel herself higher into the air.

"...My, you're trampling the grass. You really should have better regard for people's homes."

As she spoke, a cluster of ribbons reformed themselves into a gigantic arbalest, with a huge, loaded paper-bolt at the ready. Still up in the air, Chigusa immediately loosed the projectile into the rig's engine block, causing the huge cargo-hauler to explode violently. Even as the female Flame Haze landed lightly on the ground, however, the entirety of the Palace of Heaven's Road began to violently shake and rock.

Vine looked about in bewildered surprise, then cursed as he realized the situation.

"That fool! Damn you, Orgon! Couldn't bear to have someone else taking the credit, could you!?"

Suddenly, a huge gout of crimson flame erupted from the ground. Vine barely managed to dodge at the last second as a familiar, youthful figure emerged from the rising flames. Chigusa smiled as she recognized the silhouette that stood amidst the embers.

"My little Yu-chan... all grown up. But I can't really call you Yuji anymore, can I?"

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter strode forwards, his hair, eyes and hands aflame with intense heat as he stepped into the battle. Drifting Eye Vine stepped backwards in fearful dismay as he too recognized the figure that now stood in view.

"N-no... NO... NO!!! DAMN YOU, TOOL OF DESTRUCTION...!!"

And then, without warning, the entirety of floating ground upon which the Palace of Heaven's Road rested suddenly broke apart, sending the rocks and crumbling wreckage of the once-beautiful structure falling to the city streets below.

* * *

"...You just had to end it there, didn't you?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories grumbled as he flipped another page and began to madly scribble.

"Quiet! They're getting another chapter! Don't bother me!"

"Psh... Excuses, excuses."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	16. Chapter 916: Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite

"So this is it... the final portion of the 'prequel' arc, eh?"

"Something like that. Now be quiet... I've got some additional displacement problems to deal with here. The readers are starting to get a little rabid."

"'Rabid' my ass... you're just getting paranoid."

The Writer of Questionable Stories just grunted as he continued to scribble away at a frenetic pace.

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 916: Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite**

* * *

The falling and collapsing wreckage of the Palace of Heaven's Road crashed into the city streets below, causing widespread devastation as it landed on buildings, streets, cars... and people. The impact sent up a huge plume of debris and dust.

Even as the cloud of dirt began to settle, however, the battle sprang back into action. Several of Vine's motorcycles quickly roared out their defiance as they leaped over the piled rubble. In answer, the newfound flames of the newly-awakened Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter roared out in answer of their own.

* * *

_The remains of fierce and recent struggle lay all around. Tattered battle flags, broken swords, and battered, bloodied bodies littered the field of combat. Pieces of shattered plate armor lay strewn in the dirt._

_A grimy, battered figure stood atop one of the rocks with longsword in hand. Short, fiery crimson hair and blazing eyes were his distinguishing features. A short distance away, a young woman rushed towards him._

_"...Kantaro!"_

_Chigusa dashed up to her husband. The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter wearily turned to the approaching woman in weary resignation._

_"It seems that we've done all we could here. There were just too many of them, and more of them are coming. How's Sabrac doing?"_

_"...He's already left."_

_Kantaro smiled._

_"I see. Well, I would expect nothing less of him. He'll carry out his word, don't doubt him for a second. He just wouldn't be the Prismatic Blade otherwise."_

_His gaze upon Chigusa grew slightly more intense as he continued._

_"...You should escape as well now. There's nothing else left here for you."_

_A look of horrified denial formed on the woman's delicate features._

_"But... I can't just leave you here!"_

_The tone in Kantaro's voice grew gentle as he continued._

_"Dear, listen to me. You've known for a long time that I'm a Flame Haze. The mission and duty to protect this world and its inhabitants from the Denizens of the Crimson Realm come before everything else, much as I would love to escape and live to see another day with you."_

_Tears formed in Chigusa's eyes._

_"But..."_

_"Go, Chigusa. Take care of our child. Watch over him until the time comes for the Seal to be broken, then raise him to be the next Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter. Sabrac will help you to make sure that Yuji grows up into a fine young man. And of course, you'll meet with Alastor again."_

_"Kantaro..."_

_The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter briefly bent down and gave his wife one last, langorous kiss. Then, with a final look of fond affection, Kantaro hopped off the rock he'd been standing on and turned in the direction of the distant mountains... and the approaching enemy._

_"...I love you, Chigusa. Never forget that."_

_"I-idiot! How can I forget..."_

_Kantaro chuckled for the last time._

_"Of course. Now hurry and go, dear. Tenpa Jousai tends to be rather... indiscriminate with its power."_

_Kantaro quietly walked away. As the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter receded into the distance and out of earshot, a quiet, deadpan voice spoke from the necklace tied around Chigusa's neck. Despite being spoken as a statement, Tiamat's words had a distinct, questioning undertone._

_"No knowledge."_

_Chigusa shook her head._

_"I never told him."_

_With those words, Chigusa slowly turned and walked away in the opposite direction... away from the inevitable demise of the man who was her husband and Flame Haze._

* * *

The sounds of battle slowly roused Chigusa into wakefulness, breaking the fog of unconsciousness that had been holding its grip on her brain. Staggering to her feet, the Specialist of Everything stumbled out of the wreckage of a collapsed office building. Some distance away, she could clearly see Drifting Eye Vine and her son, the new Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, trading attacks amidst the wreckage.

The Specialist of Everything closed her eyes.

_Dear, can you see this now? Our young child... has grown up into the next Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter._

Suddenly, Chigusa felt a presence next to her side. Sabrac was standing next to her, his gaze firmly fixed on her son.

"Sabrac..."

The Denizen spoke after a moment's pause.

"So it's finally time."

Sabrac slowly began to walk in the direction of the battle. Chigusa's voice was raised in alarmed question.

"Sabrac, where are you going?!"

"...To do what I have been waiting for all these years."

Chigusa's eyes widened in alarm.

"You mean...!"

Sabrac paused and turned back to the Specialist of Everything.

"Indeed. There's nothing left for me to do except to face your son."

"But... if you do that..."

"What else can I do? All these years, all these centuries I have waited, refraining from consuming humans out of my binding oath to Kantaro. My Power of Existence has nearly run out. The only things that have kept me going is my oath to the previous Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter... and my feelings for you."

Sabrac turned away and resumed his direction towards the battle. Chigusa could only watch helplessly as the Prismatic Blade continued to walk away.

"...Good-bye, Chigusa."

* * *

The newly created Flame Haze leaped into the air and summoned forth another gout of burning flame from his fingertips. Deep inside, the young man who had become the channel for a Crimson Lord revelled in his newfound power.

_This... is amazing! This strength... I can do this!_

Vine cursed as he now found himself at odds with an opponent that was both stronger and faster than himself.

_Damn you, Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter! If only... if only...!_

Before he could move another step, however, a fiery ring suddenly formed at his feet. Vine's eyes widened in horror as he realized that his opponent had been maneuvering him this whole time into a carefully-laid trap. As the ring of fire at his feet exploded upwards into an agonizing, searing pillar of flame, the hapless Denizen screamed out one last line in futile defiance.

_"Glory... GLORY TO BAL MASQ-!"_

* * *

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter tore his eyes away from the spot where Vine had once stood. Standing in front of him was Sabrac.

"...So I see you've finally reached this state. Wonderful."

Sabrac slowly circled his godson at a slow pace, much like a hungry shark.

"My oath to your father, Kantaro, is almost fulfilled. Now there's just one last thing that must be done before I go."

The young Flame Haze blinked in puzzled confusion.

"And that would be...?"

"To fight you, fully and properly. In all of our previous bouts, I have fought you with the intent to teach, to educate, to enlighten."

Sabrac's eyes glinted with barely restrained anticipation.

"Now... for me to truly acknowledge you as a true Flame Haze... I will fight you with the intent to kill."

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter took a step back.

"Sabrac..."

Sabrac brought up a hand. A huge sword, glass-like and shimmering with all of the colors of the rainbow, materialized in his hand. Bringing the weapon into a ready stance, Sabrac looked his former student full in the eye.

"Come then, Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter! I, Sabrac, the Prismatic Blade, Denizen of the Crimson Realm, challenge you to one last duel! _En guarde_...!"

* * *

_**KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!**_

_With a final ring of blade against eldritch blade, the multi-colored weapon of Sabrac clattered to the floor, shattered into multiple pieces. Sabrac fell to his knees and looked up at Kantaro, the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter. A tone of infinite despair filled his voice as he spoke._

_"...Finish me. End it. I'd do the same for you if our roles were reversed!"_

_Kantaro stared down at the Denizen for a long moment, then suddenly sheathed his weapon and bent down to pat Sabrac on the shoulder._

_"Why should I? We were simply fighting for the hand of a lady whom we both love. I am fully aware that you care for Miss Chigusa just as much as I."_

_Sabrac looked up at the Flame Haze in disbelief._

_"But... but...! How can you be so confident about just letting me live!? I could easily let my jealousy get the better of me and cut you down one day when you least suspect it..."_

_Kantaro smiled familiarly._

_"Because... I know you better than that, Prismatic Blade. Your word is far too binding. You gave your word that you would give up on Miss Chigusa the moment I won this fight. And I have. I have every confidence that you will live up to that promise. Speaking of which..."_

_"Eh...?"_

_"Chigusa wants a godfather for any children we might have someday in the future. I can't think of anyone better who might fit the bill than you."_

_Sabrac was speechless with disbelief._

* * *

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter quickly somersaulted out of the way as Sabrac reached out and flung a volley of prismatic daggers in his direction. The multi-colored knives embedded into the concrete wall behind where the Flame Haze had been standing and then exploded.

The young Flame Haze snapped his fingers, summoning up pillars of flame to surround the Denizen as he jumped onto a wrecked building spar and formed another tongue of fire into a spear-like shape. Even as Sabrac jumped out of the encircling flames, the Flame Haze threw his flaming javelin in the Denizen's direction.

Sabrac responded by throwing another series of prismatic knives. Even as they impacted with the flaming spear and exploded, however, the Flame Haze's fiery projectile split into multiple points, producing a hail of fiery arrows that stabbed into the Denizen's body. Sabrac nodded in approval.

"Well done, Flame Haze... That's it... Show me everything you've got...!!"

* * *

_"Leave you!? Here!? NOW!? I refuse! Besides, Chigusa would kill me if I did!"_

_Kantaro laughed weakly as he rested on the hilt of his longsword._

_"I'm not asking you to do it, Sabrac. I'm ORDERING you to do it. Somebody will need to protect Chigusa once I am gone. I can't think of anyone better than you. Besides, she's going to need somebody to help her raise Yuji into a fine young man. I KNOW you'll raise him well."_

_"But...!"_

_The voice of the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter took on a slight tone of warning._

_"Remember your promise, Prismatic Blade! Remember the oath you swore! I know it hurts your pride to leave a comrade on the field of battle... but there is no other way. If I do not perform Tenpa Jousai now, everything that we have striven for up until now will all be for naught. Go, Sabrac!"_

_Sabrac didn't move for a long time. Kantaro spoke again. This time, there was no mistaking the tone of command in his voice._

_"Sabrac!"_

_Slowly, hesitantly, and reluctantly, almost as if he was literally tearing himself from that spot, Sabrac turned and began to walk away. Even as he did so, however, Kantaro spoke again._

_"Sabrac."_

_The Prismatic Blade turned back to look at the Flame Haze. Kantaro smiled._

_"Thank you... my friend."_

_Sabrac said nothing in reply as he slowly turned back to the waiting horizon and continued to walk away._

* * *

The young Flame Haze jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding the swing of the huge prismatic greatsword that Sabrac held in his hands. Sabrac laughed with delight as he took another swing at the Flame Haze that danced just out of reach.

"...Come, child of Kantaro! Legacy of the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter! Come at me with everything you've got!"

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter reached out with a hand and summoned forth another pillar of fire at Sabrac's feet. This time, Sabrac was ready and waiting for it. The Prismatic Blade simply jumped into the air... and whirled in a terrific counterstroke that caught the Flame Haze in its path.

"Agh!"

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter tumbled to the rubble of the street below. Sabrac, sensing his opportunity, quickly threw a prismatic dagger in his direction and dove after him, his sword upraised.

"Get to your feet, boy! We're not done yet...!!"

The Flame Haze suddenly spun around and revealed the card he'd been hiding up his sleeve. Sabrac's eyes widened as the Flame Haze brought up his arms, revealing a long black coat that was completely unmistakable.

"The Yogasa..."

From the cloak's inky-black depths, a single multi-colored dagger shot forth... the very same dagger that Sabrac had thrown at the Flame Haze just a moment before. Sabrac was moving forwards too fast in his headlong dive to dodge it in time. The point of the dagger landed squarely in the middle of Sabrac's chest.

It was a mortal blow. Even as the point of the dagger sank into the Denizen's torso, Sabrac turned and looked to Kantaro's son. Even though his face was concealed amidst the wrappings, his eyes clearly expressed the pride-filled smile that was hidden from view.

"Congratulations... Yuji."

With a final gust of wind, the rapidly disintegrating form of Sabrac crumbled into sparking fragments of azure fire. The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter was silent for a long moment, staring at the spot where his godfather had once stood.

At that moment, however, Alastor spoke from the Cocytus.

"...I'm sorry to break this moment, but we have bigger problems on our hands. The Seal is about to dissipate, and the damage inflicted by the fall of the Palace of Heaven's Road and the battles we have waged here must be attended to. I recommend using a few of the more heavily-damaged humans in the immediate area to supplement the Power of Existence we must siphon from the wreckage of the Palace of Heaven's Road."

The Flame Haze nodded.

"Right. Let's get started."

Reaching out with a hand, Yuji focused and began to draw off Power of Existence from the wreckage and a few nearby badly-damaged humans to begin the reversal. As broken concrete began to reform and wounds healed, Yuji could only smile as he realized that he'd finally set foot into the outside world.

_So much to see... and so much to learn! I can't wait to-_

Suddenly, he heard his mother's voice calling out to him.

"Wait!"

Turning, the young Flame Haze spotted Chigusa standing a short distance away, a look of pained alarm in her eyes.

"Mom... What's the matter?"

Chigusa sadly pointed to a pair of Torches, a man and a woman, that the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter had formed in the process of leeching Power of Existence from their original human counterparts. Their hands were clasped together with matching rings, clearly indicating that they had been happily married, or at least were engaged to be married.

Standing closely next to them was a little girl with long black hair that the young Flame Haze had overlooked. In her hands was a bun of melon bread. Their daughter.

With a sharp, sudden wave of horror and regret, the young Flame Haze realized that by his actions, he'd just robbed a little girl of her parents.

"No... NO... NO...!!!"

In the silence of the Seal, the Flame Haze's screams went unheard.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

"...Yuji..."

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter looked up to see his mother standing over him.

"Mom... I thought that wasn't my name anymore."

Chigusa smiled as she slowly walked over and enfolded her son in a hug.

"You may be the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter... but to me, you will always be my son, Yuji. And no matter what happens... I will always be proud of you."

Tears formed in Yuji's eyes, tears that he angrily fought to hide.

"M-mom... That... that little girl..."

"Hush... it's all right. Things like that happen. Everyone makes mistakes. I've taken care of the rest."

"B-but, if I... if I had been more careful..."

"It'll be all right. In any event, it's now time that I left."

Yuji looked up at his mother in shock.

"L-leave!? But why!? I thought..."

Chigusa smiled gently.

"The other members of Bal Masque will soon be here, no doubt to look for you. I'm going to draw them away in order to give you enough time to make yourself scarce and find your footing in the world. You're a Flame Haze now, Yuji. You'll be all right."

She then turned to the keychain attached to his waist.

"Alastor, could you grant me one request?"

"What is it, Chigusa?"

The Specialist of Everything turned to leave as she spoke her wish.

"...Please watch over my son."

"I will. Assuredly, I will."

"Then... good-bye, Yu-chan. Take care of yourself."

It wasn't until Chigusa's figure receded out of view at the far end of the street that Yuji finally spoke.

"...Alastor..."

"Mmm?"

"Will I ever see Mom again?"

Alastor's voice left absolutely no room for doubts.

"...I'm sure of it."

* * *

"Well, this is an interesting case on our hands."

The social worker shook her head as she handed the paper to her colleague. Her co-worker shook his head in similar dismay.

"Quite. Little girl, found in the middle of the city, nothing on her person except the clothes on her back and a bun of melon bread in her hands. Strangest case of child abandonment I've ever seen."

"Weirdest thing is... it's like her parents just vanished. Poof! Not a sign of them. Not a trace. No names, no legal records, not even any proof of residence or citizenship. At least there's a close family friend who's willing to take her in. Strange foreign-sounding name. I think it's... 'Wilhelmina', or something like that."

"Geez... what a messed-up world we live in."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

_Back in the present day..._

"No, no, no! Stupid pervert stalker... you don't eat melon bread like that! Don't just gobble it down! You've got to eat a little bit of the spongy part, then a little bit of the crispy crust, and then repeat. Got it?"

Yuji chuckled a bit as he watched Shana demonstrate the proper method for eating melon bread.

"Got it."

Even as Shana turned around to talk to Yuji and chew him out some more, however, she found herself seeing a very peculiar expression on the Flame Haze's face.

The female Mystes wasn't quite able to explain it, but at that instant, an expression containing something like a mixture of painful sadness and nostalgia was present on Yuji's face. Shana blinked and reached out with a hand to pat Yuji on the shoulder.

"Hey... pervert stalker... what's wrong?"

The next moment, the odd expression on Yuji's face was suddenly gone as he shook his head and smiled.

"Nothing... nothing's wrong."

Shana, miffed at being thwarted in her inquiry, pouted as she took another bite out of the melon bread in her hands.

"Hmph... idiot."

* * *

"Geez... you sure know how to put cruel twists into a story."

The Writer of Questionable Stories threw down his computer mouse in frustration.

"Well, what did you expect me to do? Besides, I was running out of ideas."

"...You do realize that you'll have a lot of angry readers on your hands after this."

Rolling his eyes, the Writer of Questionable Stories leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"Life is short. Nobody lives forever. Big deal."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	17. Chapter 1776: An Old Story

**Writer's Note:** Well, here we go. Last sprint to the finish line for this "Season". Anyways, since I don't celebrate my birthday, I guess I'll just invert it and give you all a present instead. Enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

**CapoExecutor:** Sooner than you might expect, my friend. Sooner than you might expect.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Yeah, Vine always gets his butt kicked. He's got "Grade-A Cannon-Fodder Denizen" stamped all over his arse. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone's ever really given the concept of "disappearing" in the SnS universe serious thought. Do you realize just how much implication and affect is involved when a person disappears? Especially when there's unconsumed direct family members in the picture? It makes my head spin... As for Kumiko Nakamura... that might not be a bad idea. XD

**Isekaijin:** Thank you. Keep your fingers crossed, we're nearing the end of the first section of this crazy ride.

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Well, thanks. Frankly, I'm just relieved that most of the readers didn't take to the idea too badly.

**ColinatorGX:** Thanks. You flatter me, seriously. Chigusa smiling and whupping Denizen arse? Scary, no? Frankly, the whole idea for Yuji having been responsible for that part of Shana's past just kinda... came to me while I was idly sitting in the family car one day. And as for whether Yuji recognizes Shana or not... I guess you'll just have to find out, no? XD

* * *

"...We're now on the final stretch of the first, aren't we?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories nodded.

"Quite. With just six more chapters or so to go after this, we'll finally have a lid on this situation. I can't wait to finally get a break and take a vacation."

"Don't get your hopes up too soon. With your propensity for drinking inordinate amounts of guava juice, and your constant propensity for writing... Anyway, don't be so eager to end it all. Besides, it seems like you've actually garnered a few fans."

The Writer of Questionable Stories frowned as he looked up from his papers.

"...That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

The lazy days of summer were nearing their end. At Misaki High's swimming pool, the students were gathered for swim classes, shrieking and yelling with delight as they were gathered at the water's edge.

**TWEEEET!**

Setting down his whistle, Sydonay called out to his students.

"All right everyone, you've got fifteen minutes left for this period, so I'm leaving the rest of the time as free activity for you to do with as you please. Enjoy yourselves."

Most of the class cheered and promptly began jumping or diving into the chlorinated water. Hecate, in sharp contrast, was simply engaged with sitting at the water's edge and staring over at Yuji, who was happily paddling in the shallow end a short distance away. Despite the placid expression she outwardly showed, Hecate's mind was intensely focused on the young boy swimming in the water in front of her.

_Hirai-kun... I am not giving up on you. I'll never let you go. Ever._

Shana, swimming over in the deep end of the pool, suddenly noticed Hecate staring in Yuji's direction. The female Mystes scowled and dove back into the pool as her own face suddenly started to turn red with the memory of the kiss she'd given the Flame Haze all those weeks before.

Suddenly, her scowl deepened as she saw a pair of legs in the water. Ascending, Shana took a deep breath as she surfaced next to Yuji. The frown was still on her face as she looked over in the direction of two particular figures standing in the pool and gestured with a nod.

"Oi, Yuji... are you sure it was a good idea to let those two live? It's kinda... weird having them here in this school."

Yuji blinked as he looked over in the direction indicated by Shana and glanced at the Doubting Couple, now forever forced to live out the rest of their lives as ordinary humans instead of the Denizens that they really were. Tanaka and Ogata were busily engaged in a small argument.

"...You idiot! You're not supposed to swim that way! You're dragging your legs during the kick, and you're moving your arms too slow... Honestly, and here I thought you just might be able to-"

"Now, now, Oga-chan... don't be so angry..."

"I'm not angry! You're just being so irritating! Stupid Tanaka!"

Suffice it to say, the argument was heavily one-sided. Yuji chuckled as he watched two continue their awkward, lopsided bickering.

"I don't think there's much of a problem having those two here. I actually think they're taking to the whole thing pretty well. Plus, as long as they keep showing up here, it'll be easier for us to keep an eye on them."

Shana huffed.

"Hmph. Whatever..."

* * *

Above the skyline of Misaki City, a lone girl in ruffled, shoulder-length tan hair stood atop the highest tower. Clothed on her slender but curvaceous form was a long, loose overcoat of intricate color, with pastel patterns that would have looked well on a summer kimono. Slung over her shoulder was a massive, oblong object swathed in coarse cloth.

As the girl continued to look out over the city, one of her hands brought up a strange-looking monocle of gold to her eye. Flames of azure soon winked into view.

A playful and mischievous smile came to her face as she lowered the peculiar looking-glass and hopped off her perch.

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 1776: An Old Story**

* * *

"Well, that's quite odd..."

"Thousand Strategies" Ike scratched his head as he waited in one of the myriad hallways that ran through the length of the Palace of the Stars, the headquarters of Bal Masque.

A short distance away, a girl with short brown hair and dressed in white robes had a worried expression on her face. Anxiety laced the tone of her voice as she spoke.

"...Ike-kun, what's going on? The entire Palace of Stars has been vacated. Just what are you planning to do with the Midnight Lost Child anyway?"

The Denizen gave the girl a strange smile, one that was disturbingly intermingled with love and obsession.

"Now, now... don't get your pretty little head all mixed up with worry, my dear 'Siege Glorious'. Suffice it to say, it'll all be for your own benefit, my lovely Kazumi. By the time we've finished, this entire Palace of Stars will become a bottomless fountain of Power of Existence... and you'll have an eternal existence to call your very own."

Kazumi's frown only deepened, but said nothing as a new figure ran into the hallway. Ike's smile turned into an annoyed scowl as he recognized the visitor.

"Ah... she's here. Perfect lady for the job, but..."

Kazumi blinked as the approaching figure resolved itself into the form of a young girl, wearing eyeglasses and sporting short, dark hair that seemed to bear a peculiar mixed tone of olive-green and black. Draped over her slim figure was a spotless white lab coat. Ike tried his best to conceal a groan as the female Denizen ran forwards.

"Ike-kun! It's been awhile! Listen, I got your call about the Midnight Lost Child, and I swear, the ideas I've got for handling the matter are boundless! But I'll need you to look them over and make sure they're carried out properly..."

Before "Thousand Strategies" could move or react, the bespectacled girl grabbed him by the hand and dragged him down the hallway. Ike's shouts of protest could be heard bouncing off the walls.

"'Restless Seeker', wait! Fujita, I said, WAIT...!"

Heedless of his words, "Restless Seeker" Fujita, Bal Masque's resident scientist, continued to drag Ike down the hall. Ike turned back and looked over in Kazumi's direction beseechingly one last time before he was dragged around a corner. The voice of the Siege Glorious held a note of anxious concern as it spoke.

"...I wonder if he'll be all right..."

* * *

The early morning sun shone brightly over the suburbs of Misaki City, and over the small, slim figure of Shana, busily engaged in a morning jog. Alastor's Cocytus hung onto a strap next to her waist.

"I don't get it... Why is Yuji ditching today's morning training?"

Alastor's voice was a mixture of soothing placation and rumbling confidence.

"I think your guardian Wilhelmina wanted him to assist her with something in the kitchen. In any case, don't worry so much about Yuji. He has good reasons for whatever he does. Don't drop your pace."

"Understood."

* * *

"Eh? You want me to teach you how to... cook?"

Yuji blinked in mild bewilderment as Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, it is so. I am... lacking in that skill. Shana is a growing girl, and I have come to the conclusion that instant cup-noodles are lacking in the nutrients necessary for her healthy development. Also..."

Wilhelmina's face fell, her features showing a degree of consternation.

"...I wish to be a better parent for her. Truly, I cannot replace the ones she has lost, but I must do my best."

Yuji was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"So... you're not her real mother, huh?"

Wilhelmina sadly shook her head.

"Truly, I am not."

"Does Shana ask or say anything about them?"

Another shake of the head.

"No. She never mentions them. Truly, I think she does not have any recollection of them now."

Yuji turned abruptly quiet. Somewhat puzzled, Wilhelmina looked over to Yuji. For a brief moment, Shana's guardian could have sworn that she'd seen a look of intensely pained regret flash across his face. However, the look was gone before Wilhelmina could blink. Smiling widely, Yuji turned to Wilhelmina and grabbed an apron off a nearby hook.

"Understood. All right, I guess I could teach you a few pointers. First, you'll have to..."

* * *

Reaching the crest of the embankment, Shana paused for a brief moment as she looked out over the Mana River. All the way down the length of the embankment, the female Mystes could see workmen hanging up various wickerwork ornaments and paper lanterns on nearby posts. Shana smiled at the sight as she realized what was going on.

"Ah... they're getting ready for the Misago Festival."

Alastor's voice had a questioning note of curiosity in it as he spoke.

"Misago Festival?"

Shana nodded as she continued to stare over at the workmen, busily engaged in setting up the decorations.

"Yeah. It's like this big party that Misaki holds every year. It's really popular. The food's pretty good, too. A shame they don't sell melon bread in the stalls, though... Nonetheless, it's a lot of fun."

Suddenly, Shana's smile fell as her mind drifted back.

_Wilhelmina told me that I used to attend this festival with my parents a lot when I was really young. But... I don't remember anything about it. It might have been because I was so young back then. But then again... it's like there's no trace of them left in the world. When I was younger, I used to find it odd that I couldn't find anything with my parents in it. I used to think that they'd just simply abandoned me. But now, after having met Yuji... I can't help but wonder now, sometimes..._

The female Mystes' voice was quiet as she finished the rest of her thought out loud.

"...Did they get eaten by a Crimson Denizen?"

Alastor's voice mumbled in puzzled confusion.

"Hmm? Something the matter?"

Shana, snapped out of her brown study, quickly shook her head.

"No. It's... it's nothing. Anyway, what about Yuji? Do you think he'd be interested in going?"

Alastor chuckled softly.

"Considering that this is Yuji that we're discussing here... I have no doubt that he would be very much interested in going."

Shana's smile returned in full force.

* * *

Hecate looked up at the workmen busily engaged in the act of putting up festival decorations.

_The Misago Festival... This year... I will tell him. I will tell Hirai-kun..._

Looking up towards the nearby embankment that skirted the edge of the Mana River, Hecate spotted a familiar, unwelcome figure running along the embankment's crest. The teal-haired girl's eyes narrowed.

_I will not lose to you.  
_

* * *

Yuji chuckled in wan sympathy as he looked over at the soggy, half-charred blackened lump that sat on the plate in front of Wilhelmina. Shana's guardian had a decidedly... dissatisfied look on her face as she stared down at the food fiasco sitting in front of her.

The dish sitting in front of Yuji, in stark contrast, was a beautifully crafted little pile of stir-fried vegetables, beef, and rice.

Still chuckling, Yuji shrugged.

"Well... it takes some practice. I didn't do very well myself on my first try. And at least you didn't burn the kitchen down."

"Truly, however, I came close to doing it. If you had not acted as quickly as you did with the fire extinguisher..."

Suddenly, the front door to the apartment could be heard opening. Shana's voice echoed down the front hall as she walked in.

"...I'm home."

In the blink of an eye, Wilhelmina dumped the misshapen lump into the garbage disposal and slid the plate into the dishwasher. A moment later, Shana walked into the kitchen. Yuji looked up from the plate of stir-fry he was wrapping with cellophane.

"Welcome back."

"Yuji, I'm done with the training."

Shana walked over to hand back Alastor's Cocytus, but then paused in mid-step as a peculiar smell reached her nose. Sniffing and wrinkling her nose in disgust, Shana suddenly looked over in Wilhelmina's direction.

"Wilhelmina."

"Yes?"

"...Were you trying to cook something again?"

"Truly, what brings you to that conclusion?"

Shana frowned.

"Whenever you try to cook something, the kitchen smells like a charnel house. Ah, never mind. I'm going to take a bath."

The female Mystes abruptly shot a glare in Yuji's direction.

"No peeking!"

With that, Shana walked off in the direction of the bathroom. Blinking in some puzzled confusion, Yuji looked over in Wilhelmina's direction. Shana's guardian simply shrugged as she placed the remaining dish of stir-fry into the fridge.

"Truly, in any event, have you given any thought to attending the Misago Festival?"

Yuji blinked again.

"Misago Festival?"

Wilhelmina nodded.

"Truly, have you never attended a festival before?"

Yuji shook his head and smiled.

"No... but it sounds interesting."

"Have you a yukata?"

Yuji shook his head again. A strange glint suddenly appeared in Wilhelmina's eye, but then disappeared just as quickly as she continued.

"I see. Truly, it seems that I will have to fill that deficiency."

"You don't really have to go to all that trouble-"

Wilhelmina did not let Yuji finish his protestation.

"Truly, I am certain that Shana would not mind seeing you in a yukata."

Shana's guardian suddenly turned to the kitchen doorway, an almost imperceptible smile playing about her lips as she continued.

"Truly, is that not correct, Shana?"

Shana stumbled out from behind the kitchen doorframe, blushing up a storm.

"Wilhelmina...!"

Blinking in bewildered, confusion, Yuji tentatively spoke up.

"S-Shana? Is this true?"

The blush on Shana's face turned even redder.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP...!!"

Despite the fire in Shana's words, Wilhelmina couldn't help but note that her young ward hadn't actually _denied_ Yuji's query.

* * *

"Shana, wait up!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Still red-faced, Shana didn't stop running down the street as the hapless Flame Haze ran after her full-tilt. Yuji was about to intensify his pace when Alastor suddenly spoke up from his Cocytus.

"Let her go, Yuji. It doesn't help to press a young lady like that."

Reluctantly, the Flame Haze slowed to a halt. Dismay clearly showed in his eyes and tone of voice as he watched Shana's rapidly receding figure in the distance.

"But..."

"Just let it go. Besides, you'll have your hands full enough when she actually makes up her mind."

Yuji raised an eyebrow in bewilderment.

"Eh...?"

Alastor metaphorically shook his head in disbelief at the lack of comprehension on the part of his Flame Haze.

"Never mind."

Suddenly, a soft, female voice broke in.

"...Hirai-kun."

Yuji turned around to see Hecate standing behind him.

"Hecate-san... Is something wrong?"

The girl tentatively shook her head.

"Nothing is wrong. I was just wondering... if... if..."

Yuji blinked.

"If what?"

Hecate took a deep breath.

"...if... if you could... accompany me to the Festival..."

* * *

"Gosh, I'm so bored..."

Ogata groaned as she buried her head in her arms and slumped forwards onto the school desk which she occupied. Margery Daw had gone home early due to the flu. Thus, the English class was now stuck in self-study mode. Tanaka looked up from his textbook and gulped.

"Ah, erm, Oga-chan..."

The One Engulfed in Doubting Others turned and half-glared at her counterpart.

"...What?"

"Ah, erm, I was just wondering if, er, uhm... if you would be willing to..."

Ogata raised an eyebrow and scowled with impatience.

"What, what!? Spit it out!"

Finding his nerve had suddenly fled, Tanaka suddenly turned away and shook his head.

"Ah, erm... Never mind..."

Still scowling, Ogata grumbled and looked away in disgust as she mumbled out of earshot.

"Geez, don't be such a pansy. If you're going to invite me to that silly Festival, just tell me, stupid Tanaka... Not that you'd ever have the courage to say it..."

Shana stared over at the Doubting Couple for a moment longer, then turned her thoughts inwards and towards a certain young male Flame Haze.

_Hmph. I guess I should just work up my courage and invite him out... And I guess..._

A blush stole upon her cheeks as she finished her thought.

_...Yuji in a yukata wouldn't look too bad..._

* * *

The late afternoon found Hecate walking back home from Misaki High.

An intermingled expression that combined disappointment, resignation, and determined hope graced Hecate's face.

_...Either way, I will definitely tell him. Everything. At the Festival, I will find him and tell him... my feelings. All of them. Regardless of how he feels towards me._

Hecate's eyes suddenly caught a pair of wooden _geta_ standing on a sales shelf in a nearby store window.

A moment later, the footwear was nestled within a bag along with a sales receipt. Hecate hesitantly squeezed the bag to her chest as she began to head back in the direction of home. At that moment, however, a figure abruptly stepped into her field of vision.

A young girl, about her age, dressed in a colorful loose overcoat of pastel shades and possessed of tan, shoulder-length ruffled hair, stepped towards her. Slung over her shoulder was a massive, oblong object wrapped in heavy canvas. Hecate took a step back in slight bemusement as the stranger continued to walk in her direction. The stranger suddenly stopped in front of her and giggled.

"Ah... don't be frightened. I simply require some assistance. It's all right. I don't intend you any ill will."

As if to further daze Hecate's grip on reality, an old, elderly voice spoke into the air.

"Mmm. Then again... this is the first one in this city who hasn't run away screaming at our approach."

The strange girl pouted and crossed her arms.

"That's because you've been speaking up at every opportunity... Honestly, if you had just kept quiet, none of this trouble would have started..."

Hecate blinked.

"...Whom are you talking to? Are you on a cell phone?"

The stranger looked up and laughed.

"Ah! Hahaha... Sorry about that. I should have made the introductions first. Sorry about my manners. I'm the 'Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment', the Flame Haze Kimiko Nakamura, and this is my partner, the 'Steadfast Sharp Peak', Behemoth."

As she spoke, Kimiko brought up a hand. Hecate noticed a strange, red-and-yellow beaded bracelet affixed to her wrist. The elderly voice spoke again.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, child."

Hecate blinked. The bracelet had actually talked. Before she could recover from her astonishment, however, Kimiko spoke up again.

"We need your help with something. Erm... tell me... do you know the truth about your world?"

Hecate took a step back due to instinctive reflex.

"...The truth?"

"Ah, don't run off yet... Here, take this."

Kimiko reached into one of the pockets of her overcoat. When she withdrew her hand, a strange-looking monocle of gold was nestled within her fingers. Without any further words, Kimiko smiled and placed the looking-glass in Hecate's hand. The teal-haired girl looked at the object for a moment in askance. Kimiko chuckled.

"Take a look through it."

Hesitantly, Hecate brought the monocle up to her eye. Within moments, flames of azure suddenly materialized within the centers of several people standing in the monocle's field of vision.

Hecate's eyes widened.

"...What is this?"

Kimiko chuckled again.

"The truth."

* * *

Margery Daw, to put it bluntly, felt like crap. Her head hurt, her whole body ached, and she felt like she was on fire. The worst part was, in her opinion, was the fact that the headache wasn't hangover-induced, and therefore couldn't even be temporarily chased away by a nice shot of iced Jameson.

Groaning, the English teacher grumbled under her breath as she struggled to make herself comfortable underneath the blankets.

"...Hell of a time to catch the flu..."

Suddenly, there was a knock at her bedroom door. Still grumbling under her breath, Margery mustered up enough strength to call out weakly in irritation.

"Come in... the door's not locked."

Keisaku wordlessly walked in. Marcosius' Grimoire was slung over his shoulder. After a moment's pause, he sat down next to her bed and spoke.

"Just to let you know, I'm not going to insult your intelligence by asking how you're feeling."

Margery rolled her eyes.

"Much appreciated. Now what brings you here to disturb my attempt to get some rest?"

Marcosius cut in, laughing so loudly that Margery could literally feel his peals of laughter hammering in on her head like blows from a tonfa.

"Hahahahah! Oh, not much! My hormonal hero's just feeling up to gawking upon your hot, sweaty, sexy for-"

**THWACK!**

Keisaku wordlessly cut Marcosius off with a sharp punch to the Grimoire's leather-bound cover. Despite her illness, Margery couldn't help but weakly grin.

"...Thanks."

Keisaku briefly smirked.

"Don't mention it. Here..."

Reaching behind him, the Chanter of Elegies brought out a small, damp headcloth, wrapped around an icepack. Without another word, the Flame Haze quietly set it on Margery's forehead and then rose to his feet as he made to leave. Margery's relief showed in her weak attempt at cracking some humor.

"What's with the sudden pampering? You're not trying to seduce me, are you?"

Keisaku rolled his eyes.

"Don't be stupid. I'm your roomer, remember? It's just part of paying the rent."

Margery snorted as she closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.

"Rent. Riiiight..."

Keisaku had been about to leave, but the Flame Haze suddenly hesitated as he reached the door. After another moment's consideration, he quietly sat back down in the chair next to Margery's bed and tried to catch a nap of his own.

* * *

Hecate sat down heavily onto the bench. Part of her still wanted to deny everything, to drop the monocle in her hands and run home screaming. The other part of her, coldly clinical, simply shrugged and accepted the situation before her.

Kimiko sat down next to her and chuckled in some sympathy.

"It's not easy to accept the first time, isn't it. You should be proud of yourself, though. Most people just go into flat-out denial whenever we explain the situation to them."

Hecate didn't hear. Her mind was still spinning with what she had seen, and from the words that the girl Kimiko had spoken. After another moment, Hecate suddenly turned to Kimiko.

"What about... What about..."

Kimiko blinked.

"Your family? Oh, they're all right. They haven't been consumed. It's one of the requirements, after all."

Hecate shook her head, although a part of her felt some measure of relief upon hearing that her family was fine.

"No... I meant... What about Hirai-kun? Is Hirai-kun...?"

Kimiko frowned in puzzlement.

"...Hirai..."

After another moment, her frown deepend and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. You will just have to find out the truth for yourself."

Hecate looked back down at the ground.

"...I see..."

Smiling, the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment got up and stretched. It had an oddly carefree appearance to Hecate. Behemoth spoke up.

"Well, don't worry too much about it. Most likely, he hasn't been consumed yet. In any case, we'll give you a bit of time to think it over. Don't worry about finding us, we'll find you."

The Flame Haze turned to leave. Hecate hesitantly spoke up as she gestured with the monocle in her hands.

"But... what about...?"

Kimiko looked over her shoulder and chuckled again.

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it. Just keep it. Consider it a gift."

With those words, the Flame Haze walked away, turned a street corner... and vanished.

* * *

Yuji nodded in approval as he felt the flow of Power of Existence suddenly surge into him in a burst of intensified focus.

"Mmm. That's right. You've got a good sense of control over your Power of Existence, Shana."

Suddenly, the timer in Shana's hand beeped. The female Mystes looked up from the stopwatch.

"It's time."

Nodding, Yuji released his grip on Shana's hand and returned Blutsauger to his nightcloak. Even as a nearby belltower began to strike midnight, Shana sat down on the scratchy park grass and looked up at Yuji.

"Yuji..."

The Flame Haze blinked.

"Hmm?"

"Erm... Are you busy tomorrow night?"

Yuji scratched the back of his head as he suddenly remembered the promise he'd made to Hecate.

"Well..."

Shana tilted her head expectantly.

"Well?"

"Uhm... Actually, Hecate invited me to the Misago Festival this morning."

Shana suddenly felt cold in the pit of her stomach. Before she could speak or respond in any way, however, the conversation was suddenly interrupted by a familiar, cynical voice.

"Hmph. I thought I'd find you two lovebirds here."

Yuji smiled weakly as Keisaku walked into view with Marcosius slung over his shoulder. Shana simply glowered at the Chanter of Elegies. She wasn't sure whether to feel angry or relieved at having the moment interrupted by the Claw and Fangs of Violation. Yuji blinked as he spoke.

"So what brings you here?"

Marcosius spoke. His voice was oddly serious.

"...We just learned this afternoon that 'Thousand Strategies' Ike returned to the Palace of Stars."

Alastor's voice spoke up in alarm.

"You don't mean...!?"

Keisaku nodded grimly.

"Bal Masque knows."

Shana looked up in puzzled confusion at Yuji, all thoughts of Misago Festival chased out of her mind.

"...Bal Masque?"

Yuji's expression was a mixture of apprehension and worry as he looked over to Shana.

"Bal Masque is a Denizen Organization. One of the most powerful, in fact. It's headed by 'Thousand Strategies' Hayato Ike, whom you've already had the 'pleasure' of meeting, and 'Siege Glorious' Kazumi Yoshida. If 'Thousand Strategies' has returned to Bal Masque, that can only mean one thing."

Alastor grimly completed the thought that was left hanging in the air.

"Every Crimson Denizen now knows where the 'Midnight Lost Child' is."

Yuji's eyes tightened in barely restrained worry as he spoke.

"It looks like we'll have to make preparations soon."

Shana looked up at Yuji in askance.

"Preparations? For what?"

Yuji looked over to Shana.

"...You'll have to make ready to leave Misaki City soon. We can't put this city in danger."

Shana suddenly felt a stormy wave of tangled emotions. Shock, bewilderment, puzzlement, and not a little bit of fear. As Shana stared out at the Misaki City skyline that stretched before her, it seemed as if she was just now seeing the city for the first time. Despite all the times she'd declared the city tiresome and annoying, and how she couldn't stand it...

...she now belatedly realized just how much she'd grown accustomed to living in Misaki. And also, with a deep pang of regret, that she had come to view it as home. Yuji, seeing the sudden distress on her face, quickly spoke up.

"We won't be leaving right away. We can't afford to be hasty or ill-prepared. We still have some time."

Yuji suddenly smiled.

"Besides, it'll be all right. I'll be with you."

Shana blinked up at Yuji.

_Leaving Misaki... with Yuji next to me..._

Suddenly, for some reason, leaving Misaki didn't feel so bad. Shana quickly turned her head to hide it, but she couldn't help smiling at the thought. All thoughts of the Misago Festival had now thoroughly vanished from her mind.

* * *

Back at the apartment complex, Yuji sat atop the roof, staring down at the streets below. Shana had already headed inside and gone to bed. Alastor's voice broke in.

"You seem troubled."

The Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter quietly nodded.

"I am. With Bal Masque now aware of where the Midnight Lost Child is, we're running out of time... _I'm_ running out of time. I'll need to tell her soon."

Alastor's voice was quiet as well as the Crimson Lord continued.

"Are you sure about telling her the truth? It may be best not to bring up such matters, especially now."

Yuji shook his head.

"No. She needs to know. She deserves to know. It's not fair to hide it from her. I'll tell her at the Festival. She can make her decision then."

Even with his words, however, a troubling thought snaked through Yuji's brain.

_But... if I tell her... how's Shana going to react? After all that... will she still want to leave with me? Will she..._

That last thought was almost too much to bear.

_...Will she hate me?  
_

* * *

"Piling it up, eh?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories glared.

"Don't rub it in. I've got other matters to deal with now."

"Whatever."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


	18. Chapter 1812: Crushed Dreams

**Writer's Note:** Sorry for being so late. Also, in order to make a few plot devices match up, I had to slightly edit the previous chapter. In any event, here's the next part of the story. Have fun.

* * *

**CapoExecutor:** If there's one thing that "Thousand Strategies" Ike fears more than anything else in the world, it is a "Restless Seeker" Fujita on full-bore workaholic mode.

**Isekaijin:** Many belated thanks, I guess. Too bad there's a scarcity of guava juice in the house at the moment. XD

**The Light Hidden in the Shadow:** Thank you. Anyways, yes, Nakamura IS a character from the series. She shows up in the first season's OVA.

**ColinatorGX:** You're expecting a rift in their relationship, eh? Hmph. Well, just keep reading. Anyways, yes, Kumiko is a minor side-character in the SnS OVA.

**JohnPeacekeeper:** Many thanks in return. You praise me too highly. And yes, Fujita is still the endlessly-moving workaholic. Yuji teaching Wilhelmina how to cook... well, I'm sure he's regretting it by now. Ogata and Eita will probably end up having a comedic side-role in the story, kind of like those two peasants from Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress". And erm, whoops... guess I didn't make that too clear in the last chapter. Anyways, I think this chapter will clear up that confusion in regards to Hecate's invitation to Yuji. And as for the blooper you spotted... thanks for the heads-up.

**karasu-000:** Thank you. ^^

**fazed343:** Erm... thanks. XD

**Monte-chan:** You're giving me too much credit. Really. D: Anyway, thank you for the compliments. Too bad I'm out of guava juice at the moment...

**Revolver:** Thanks.

**-BlahHEAD-:** Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? :3

* * *

"So now here we are. I guess it's about time for him to spill the beans on everything to her, right?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he slammed his forehead against the keyboard.

"God, what a mess it's going to be... I'm probably going to have to spend all night running damage control. To think that this all started because I got careless..."

"Well, if there's anything to be viewed as beneficial from this experience, at the very least, you now know better than to drink or eat anything in front of your computer."

The Writer of Questionable Stories mumbled.

"Mmmrf."

"Hey, wait a minute... what are you doing?"

The Writer of Questionable Stories looked up from his reuben sandwich and glass of guava juice as he continued to type away at the keyboard.

"Mmrrch...?"

"God in Heaven... you're hopeless."

* * *

Hecate couldn't help but toss and turn in bed that night. Her mind was a flurry of clashing worry, anxiety, and gnawing fear. In the sweaty palm of her hand was the monocle of gold that the Flame Haze Kumiko had left with her. Tightly clenching her eyes shut, the teal-haired girl shook her head and buried her face deeper into the pillows and blankets.

_It's all right... It'll be all right. Hirai-kun's not a Torch. He can't be. I'll find him at the Festival tomorrow... and I'll tell him everything. Everything I feel for him inside. It'll be all right..._

Deep inside, however, Hecate couldn't help but remember the words of the strange girl, Kumiko, that had been spoken earlier that day.

* * *

_Earlier that afternoon..._

"...So, do you get it now? That's how the world works, you know. Anyway, you can use that monocle to see the world around you more clearly. But don't forget, we'll need to hear of your decision very soon."

There was a muffled grunt of agreement from the voice of Behemoth.

"Quite so. Forgive us, young lady, for being so straightforward, but we will be unable to tune this city unless we acquire the willing cooperation of one who has lived in this city and remembers it fully with the heart. You are a perfect candidate."

"But... what about Hirai-kun?"

There was an enigmatic smile on Kumiko's face.

"Find out the truth for yourself."

* * *

Squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stave off the wild, anxious thoughts that hammered in on her brain, Hecate tightened her grip on the monocle in her hand and tried to get some sleep.

_It'll be all right... Won't it?_

Even with all of her efforts to reassure herself, however, Hecate couldn't help but feel an icy pit of fear begin to accumulate in the bottom of her stomach.

* * *

**SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?**

**Chapter 1812: Crushed Dreams  
**

* * *

  
Shana's mind was spinning and shaking rapidly. With all of what Yuji had mentioned earlier that evening, confliction still raged inside her. Staring up at the ceiling from her bed, the female Mystes thought back to Yuji's earlier words.

_I'll have to leave soon. I'll have to leave Misaki City and say goodbye to everyone I know. How ironic... I used to hate this place. But now..._

She looked over to the window.

_...Why is it that my heart hurts so much whenever I think of the idea that I'll have to leave? _

Shaking her head, Shana forced herself to think of something a bit more cheerful. Inevitably, her gaze fell upon the figure of the young Flame Haze who was sleeping on the floor of her bedroom nearby.

_But... if nothing else... At least Yuji will be at my side when I do leave Misaki City. And..._

A smile came to her face as her thoughts turned to the upcoming Misago Festival.

_...I'll be able to enjoy the festival with him. I wonder what he'll look like in a yukata..._

* * *

_Earlier that evening..._

"Eh? You mean...?"

Shana blinked in astonishment as the import of Yuji's words sank in. The Flame Haze smiled in embarrassment as he nodded.

"Yeah... I... failed to mention it, due to the interruption from the Chanter of Elegies. But... yeah, I turned down Hecate's invitation."

"But... why?"

For a brief, almost undetectable moment, a flicker of apprehension and guilt crossed Yuji's face, but then it vanished as he smiled and gave reply.

"I... just wanted to spend some time with you, that's all. And the Misago Festival sounds interesting. So... mind hanging out with a 'pervert stalker'?"

Yuji blinked.

"Shana? Are you okay? You're looking a bit flushed. Are you sick?"

"I-I'm fine! Everything's fine!"

"But-"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

* * *

Yuji had all the appearance of being asleep on the carpet of Shana's bedroom. In reality, however, his mind was working just as furiously as Shana's at the moment. His biggest worry was flashing through his mind.

_Bal Masque's on the move. I don't have much time left._

Yuji's eyes fell upon Shana, who appeared to be asleep.

_I'll have to tell her the truth about everything. I'll tell her at the Festival... And then, after that... Then what? What will she think of me? Will she forgive me? __**Can**__ she forgive me?_

The Flame Haze closed his eyes in worry.

_...Or will she hate me?_

Yuji felt a terrible pang of dread in his chest at the idea. Shutting his eyes, Yuji tried his best to push away the thought and get some sleep.

Needless to say, he would prove largely unsuccessful that night.

* * *

"Let me guess... You're going to be leaving soon, aren't you?"

Margery Daw, bottle of booze in hand, arched an eyebrow as she spoke to the Chanter of Elegies standing in the backyard of her house. Keisaku simply shrugged and gave a grunt as part of his reply.

"Well... Most likely."

Margery shook her head and sighed in playful mock dismay.

"Ehhhh... That's too bad. I'm going to miss my cute little roomer."

Keisaku snorted.

"Yeah. Right. The only thing you're going to miss is all the rent money I pay, and all the cheap booze that you buy with it."

The well-endowed English teacher winked saucily.

"Hmph. Maybe I should just come along when you do leave."

The Chanter of Elegies snorted again.

"...Don't be stupid."

With those words, Keisaku quickly got up from his seat on the backyard lawn chair and walked inside. Margery watched him go with an expression that seemed to be a mingled picture of affection and disappointment.

"Humm... It's too bad that he's got no real way of properly dealing with the fairer sex."

* * *

"What's wrong with you, partner? You've been acting... _strangely_, lately."

Keisaku snorted.

"You think so?"

"You could bet your last skin magazine that it's so. Normally, if someone made a suggestion like that, you'd get all worked up and yell, or even give the offending person a smack upside the head. But around that lady, you've been... really weird."

"Don't get the wrong idea, Marcosius. She's pretty, I'll give her that. But she's not cut out to be involved in our world for much longer."

The Chanter of Elegies suddenly grew quiet.

"And... it wouldn't be fair to get her into this situation any deeper than she already has."

Marcosius gave a deep, barking laugh that howled up to the ceiling.

"HAHAAHAHA! I KNEW IT! You've FALLEN for her! I knew it, I KNEW IT! I can't believe this! My little hormonal hero has actually gone and fallen in love with a beautiful lady! I swear, what'll happen next!? Used condoms falling from the sky!? HAHAHAHA-"

**THWOMP!**

"Shut up."

Marcosius groaned in pain as Keisaku withdrew his fist from the Grimoire's cover. The Claw and Fangs of Violation had a peeved note in his voice as he resumed the conversation.

"Another thing... You've been hanging around her too long. Before we ran into her, you never hit me THIS much over such trivial little things. She's being a bad influence on you!"

Keisaku only smirked in reply.

* * *

Kumiko shook her head as she walked down the street.

"Well... nothing we can do in regards to that girl, except just hope and wait. Kinda odd how something seemed familiar about her aura, though. I just wish that girl would find out the truth in regards to her beau faster."

Behemoth's aged voice was laced with a hint of wry and dry humor as he spoke.

"Even with the love of young lovers being unmatched in haste and impulsiveness within this world, you still view it as something that moves too slowly for you? At your age?"

Kumiko grumbled under her breath as she came to a stop at a pair of intersecting alleyways and began unslinging the wrapped metal pole that was hitched over her shoulders..

"Old as you are yourself, Behemoth, I'd thought that surely by now, you'd possess the wisdom of refraining from mentioning a woman's age. Especially mine..."

With a quick undoing of the canvas strips that swathed the massive metal pole in her hands, Kumiko lifted the huge rod up into the air and took a deep breath. The next moment, the female Tuner slammed the metal pole down into the cement with all the power of an industrial pile driver.

"HUWAH!"

**CRUNCH!**

The cement underneath the point of impact cracked and shattered, even as a spell-circle suddenly expanded outwards from the bottom of the metal pole in Kumiko's hands. Wiping her brow and nodding to herself in satisfaction, the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment lifted the pole out of the impression she'd made in the cement and re-wrapped it.

"That should take care of this area. How many more areas are we supposed to mark?"

"...As many as will be needed."

Kumiko grumbled again.

"You old geezers, always so vague about everything..."

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of yet another day at Misaki High. Students wasted no time in vacating their seats, grabbing up their bags, and running for the exits. Who could blame them? There was a festival to be enjoyed.

"Shana, slow down!"

Yuji was, somewhat surprisingly, having a hard time keeping up with the female Mystes. Shana's only response to Yuji's pleas for a slower pace was a sashaying of school skirts and a tongue playfully stuck out in his direction. Groaning, Yuji continued to race after Shana as the two left the campus grounds.

On the opposite side of the campus, Hecate idly swept at the floor of a classroom, having been unexpectedly saddled with last-minute cleanup duties. Her thoughts turned to a certain moment yesterday afternoon...

* * *

_Yesterday..._

"...I'm sorry, but I can't accompany you to the festival, Hecate-san."

Yuji's face looked distinctly regretful as he gave a quick, sharp bow from the waist to indicate his apology.

"I've got something else in mind for tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, I'd accompany you for sure..."

Hecate sighed and shook her head in a mixture of resigned disappointment and gentle reassurance.

"Don't be sorry, Hirai-kun. If you are busy, then there is nothing that can be done. I... I just wanted to tell you something there. Thank you for your time all the same..."

Even as Hecate turned to leave, however, Yuji suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, Hecate-san!"

Turning, Hecate looked back over to Yuji. Smiling, the young boy scratched the back of his head as he continued.

"I may not be able to accompany you to the festival tomorrow afternoon, but... there's always the chance that you could find me there. At the festival, that is. How about telling me at the festival when you find me?"

Hecate's previous look of disappointment receded as newfound hope shone in her teal-colored eyes.

"That... that's fine, Hirai-kun. Really. I'll see you at the festival, then?"

Yuji smiled and nodded.

"That'll be fine."

* * *

Hecate sighed as she swept at several motes of dust that were scattered across the floor tiles. Despite the undercurrent of hope that was running inside her, a part of her still felt highly apprehensive as she tightly clutched at the monocle which Kumiko had left to her.

_It's all right... It'll be all right... Hirai-kun's not a Torch... and I'll tell him all of my feelings... I'll tell him tonight..._

* * *

Shana sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment, having already changed into her red and cherry-blossom-print yukata. Her long black hair had been done up into a ponytail. From Wilhelmina's bedroom, the female Mystes could hear Yuji's screams of terror as he found himself being forcibly dressed into his yukata by Wilhelmina. Then there were a few muffled thumps... and then an abrupt silence.

A few moments later, Yuji weakly staggered and stumbled his way out of the bedroom, neatly dressed in a blue yukata decorated with a print of swimming red, white, and black koi carp. Wilhelmina walked out immediately afterwards, a perfectly serene expression on her face as always.

Shana got up and walked over to Yuji in order to inspect Wilhelmina's... handiwork. After a long moment of intense scrutiny, Shana looked up at Yuji. The Flame Haze blinked back in puzzlement.

"What... is something the matter?"

Shana suddenly started to blush furiously as her eyes met his. The female Mystes quickly turned away and muttered a few words.

"...Nothing. You don't look... too bad. Wilhelmina did a good job on you."

Yuji gave a sickly grin as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Erm, thanks... I guess."

"Well, what are we waiting around for, then? Let's go!"

Now smiling widely, Shana grabbed Yuji's hand and ran for the door, completely ignoring Yuji's spluttered pleas for a more temperate pace. As the female Mystes pulled on her wooden _geta_ and opened the door, she turned back to Wilhelmina and waved once more.

"We're going! Will we see you there?"

Wilhelmina nodded once to Shana, almost bowing as she headed back towards her bedroom.

"Truly, you will find me at the festival tonight."

As the two left the apartment, Wilhelmina paused once and looked back over her shoulder at the door through which the two had departed. For a long moment, Shana's guardian said nothing. When she finally did speak, her voice was laced with a hint of regret.

"...That yukata... Truly, I wonder what her father used to look like while wearing it..."

* * *

Shana, even while being hampered in her movement by her wooden geta and full-length cotton yukata, was moving at a pace that was taxing even to Yuji's normally inhuman stamina. The female Mystes rapidly scampered from one stall to the next, peering over at grilled _okonomiyaki _one moment, to staring at piles of baked _takoyaki _the next. Panting for breath, Yuji stretched out a hand in desperate supplication.

"Shana... please... slow down..."

Sighing, the female Mystes reluctantly complied with Yuji's plea and turned back to rejoin him. Yuji straightened up and looked around. Now that he had time to catch his breath and regain his composure, he found himself staring wide-eyed at the paper lanterns and various stalls that were lining the area.

"...Amazing... I've never been to a place like this in my entire life."

Shana smiled.

"Isn't it fun? C'mon, what do you want to do first?"

Yuji looked about and suddenly pointed at a nearby gaming stall, which appeared to be hosting some sort of goldfish-scooping event. Shana raised her eyebrows at Yuji's choice.

"There? Well... all right, but you'll most likely lose. Those gaming stalls are known for fleecing people of all their money..."

* * *

A few moments later, Yuji and Shana walked away from the gaming stall, leaving a half-crazed, gibbering stallkeeper and a tank completely devoid of goldfish.

"That boy... he... he can't be human! Can't b-be!!"

Yuji, finding the mass of liberated goldfish too cumbersome to carry around with him, gave most of his winnings away to passing kids who were delighted to relieve the Flame Haze of his newfound prizes. The last prize he'd won, a red and white fantailed goldfish, swam in a plastic bag that dangled from a string in Shana's fingers.

Shana gave the unfortunate stallkeeper one last look and sighed.

"Well... I should've guessed that you'd do well at that sort of thing. Let's go get something to eat..."

The next hour found Yuji and Shana sampling various foods in and around the festival grounds, including grilled _okonomiyaki_, _takoyaki_, and _tonkotsu_ ramen. Yuji abruptly halted, however, when he caught sight of one particular stall. Shana, curious as to what had caught the Flame Haze's attention in such a manner, walked over from her perusal of a display of festival masks and tugged at his sleeve.

"Oi, pervert stalker... something the matter?"

Yuji was intently staring at a stall that was selling a plethora of candied apples. In fact, not only was he staring... he was drooling. Shana fought back the urge to giggle as she watched him continue to salivate. After another moment, the female Mystes tugged on his sleeve.

"...Want one?"

Startled out of his saliva-powered reverie, Yuji looked over at Shana and slowly nodded as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Mmm."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the festival grounds, two figures were busily engaged in a rather one-sided argument.

"B-but Oga-chan..."

"No buts, stupid Tanaka! Honestly, why in the world did you insist upon holding onto our wallet?! Now you've gone and lost it, which means that we have no more money for anything else at the festival!"

"B-but... I was so sure that I'd keep it safe this time..."

"Well, I doubted it from the very beginning! And see!? I was right! Again!"

Even as the Doubting Couple continued to argue (With Ogata doing most of the arguing), a small figure dressed in a white yukata decorated with a teal hydrangea print approached the two.

"Excuse me..."

"Eh...?"

Looking up from their argument, the two former Denizens found themselves staring at Hecate, who was clutching a leather wallet in her hands.

"...Did you happen to lose this?"

"Ahhh! You found it! Thank you! Thank you so much! What's your name?"

"...Hecate."

"Ah... wait, Hecate, you look familiar! Don't you go to Misaki High too?"

"Oga-chan, she's been in our classroom this whole time, and you just realized that fact _now_?"

Exuberant and ecstatically relieved at the recovery of the misplaced money, Ogata rushed up and grabbed Hecate in an enthusiastically thankful glomp. Tanaka followed up a moment later by snatching up her hand and shaking it vigorously while thanking her profusely.

"Ah... you're welcome... but..."

Suddenly Ogata came up with what she thought was a brilliant idea.

"Say! We've got to show Hecate-tan our gratitude! Let's buy you some dinner and souvenirs!"

A look of silent alarm appeared on Hecate's face. She'd only approached the two in order to return their wallet, and she still hadn't found Hirai-kun yet. The young girl began taking a step back in an attempt to avoid the disaster that she could sense approaching in the distance.

"That's... not quite necessary..."

"Nonsense! Let's go grab some_ takoyaki_!"

"Oga-chan, I'd like some _tonkotsu_ ramen..."

"Go and get it yourself!"

"B-but, you're the one holding the wallet..."

Stuck fast in Ogata's iron grip, poor Hecate could only blink helplessly as the Doubting Couple dragged her off to show their appreciation for her honesty.

* * *

Kumiko sat on a sidewalk bench that overlooked the city of Misaki. All around the concrete cityscape, the Tuner could spot the various spell circles that she and Behemoth had created in the process of preparing the city for its eventual correction.

"Well, that's that. Now all that's left is for the girl to find out the truth and make up her mind. Wish she'd hurry up about it."

"Wishing won't make the stars fall, little one."

Kumiko giggled.

"You old geezers, always taking everything so slowly. Still..."

The face of the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment took on a momentary expression of concerned worry as she continued to look out over the city.

"Is something the matter, child?"

"It... may just be my imagination, but I think I'm sensing something else. Something... other than the citywide distortion that we came here to fix. Something..."

"Mmm. I think I can feel it as well, now that you mention it. But certainly, it is something that I cannot quite seem to lay a finger on, so to speak."

Kumiko got up from her seat and rubbed at her forehead in mild frustration.

"...This whole city is _so_ messed up."

* * *

"...Well now, this is turning out better than I expected. And see? The humans don't suspect a thing. The plan's perfect!"

"Well, that's great... but why did you have to involve ME in this!?"

"Thousand Strategies" Ike scowled as he struggled to maintain his precarious balance on a tall barstool in a corner of the cluttered laboratory. Fujita, the Restless Seeker, pulled at several levers and pushed a series of buttons as she continued to pour all of her dynamic energy into the work that was before her.

"Because, I just... Well, things always seem to work out better when you're here. Besides, somebody with a high level of responsibility needs to be making sure that nothing goes wrong, you know? Oh, and I swear, we've got to get some additional capacitors for the second dynamo I've got working down here. You can get a few for me next time you're walking around Earth, right? They're so hard to get, capacitors, I mean. I swear, it's so hard getting capacitors in the Crimson Realm that-"

Ike's scowl deepened.

"Just start the silly thing already."

Fujita pouted.

"Don't rush me. Everything here is running on a precise schedule. Any disruption or jumping of the gun is only going to mess the whole thing up. I swear, the last time somebody down here tried to start things off ahead of me got themselves into so much trouble that I couldn't help but..."

Ike facepalmed as he stifled the urge to groan. It was definitely, definitely going to be a long, long night.

* * *

An entire planar existence away, another young man similarly held back the urge to utter an exasperated groan as he followed after his well-endowed landlady.

"Okay... let me ask one more time... Why are we doing this again?"

Margery Daw, dressed in a purple and indigo yukata that barely held back her ample... assets, looked over her shoulder in playful mischief as she winked at the Chanter of Elegies.

"Oh, come on. Working and being cooped up inside the house all the time's no good. Playtime, my little roomer, playtime is just as important as worktime. Besides, if you stayed indoors all the time, your skin's going to go sickly pale. You might end up looking like some Nosferatu or some other monstrous resident of isolated crypts and castles."

Keisaku couldn't help but snort in disgust.

"Whatever."

Marcosius guffawed.

"Ha! Don't hold yourself in such denial, my young buck! Besides, it's not bad to step outside the house every so often. After all..."

The voice of the Claw and Fangs of Violation turned somewhat sly.

"...what young, healthy man wouldn't like to be in _your _shoes?"

Margery Daw looked over her shoulder again and winked once more at the taciturn Flame Haze.

"Dear, would you be so kind as to fetch something for me to drink? Preferably something alcoholic, smooth, and strong."

Rolling his eyes, Keisaku sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he started off to fulfill his landlady's bidding.

* * *

Several hours had passed, and the russet tones of late afternoon had darkened into the dark navy blues of early evening. Yuji and Shana, taking a break from the festivities, were sitting together on a sidewalk bench. The Flame Haze smiled as he sat back and looked out over the rows of stalls and people walking to and fro amongst the hanging paper lanterns.

"It's been a lot of fun so far, Shana. Thanks."

Shana blushed and looked away, pouting to hide her embarrassment.

"Hmph. Idiotic perverted stalker..."

Yuji just chuckled. After a long moment of silence, however, Shana, still blushing, quietly resumed speaking.

"...I had a lot of fun today too. You know... Before you came to Misaki and... walked into my life, I hated living in this city. I detested almost everything, except for the melon bread. And yet..."

Shana looked up at Yuji with an intense, yet unreadable expression in her eyes.

"...Now that I've met you, I... somehow the idea of leaving Misaki City bothers me. I know that I have to leave someday in order to make sure that nothing happens to this place, but... now, I don't dislike this city as much as I used to."

A look of distant sadness came over Shana's face as she continued.

"...For as long as I could, I felt very lonely. I couldn't remember the parents who'd left me when I was just a little girl. Wilhelmina doesn't remember them either, for some reason. So for a long time... I was so frustrated. I knew that somewhere, I once had a mother and father... but I couldn't remember anything about them. The social workers told me that they'd abandoned me. Somehow, though... I couldn't believe that."

Shana looked over at the rows and rows of festival stalls, and at the people who were attending and participating in the festivities.

"...I think that's why I hated this city so much. Because I felt like I didn't belong anywhere, as if my place in this world had just gone and vanished."

The female Mystes looked back over to Yuji.

"But ever since I ran into you, it... feels like I've found my place in this world again. And that place... is next to you, Yuji."

The young girl sitting on the sidewalk bench continued to keep her gaze intense and piercing as she looked up at the young man sitting next to her. Shana was blushing up a storm, but she didn't hesitate to speak the words that had been burning a hole in her heart for a long time.

"...Yuji... I love you."

Yuji said nothing for a long moment. In fact, he didn't move, either, almost to the point that Shana was wondering if her words had somehow caused him to turn to stone. When he finally did speak, it was with a voice that sounded as if it belonged at some sort of terrible funereal ceremony for the dead.

"...I... can't return your feelings, Shana. I'm sorry."

Shana's eyes widened. Her heart felt as if it had been simultaneously punched, pierced, and twisted into with a frozen corkscrew knife. Struggling to find her words, Shana's voice came out in a confused, dazed stutter.

"...Why?"

"Shana, I-"

"Is it because I'm not pretty enough?"

"Listen, Shana, please, it isn't-"

"Is it because of Hecate?"

"No, it's not because of-"

Shana's voice grew more desperate and more wild with every passing line.

"It's because of my chest then, isn't it!? I'm too flat chested for you, right!? RIGHT!?"

"Shana, listen to me-"

"I'm just not good enough for the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter then, right!? IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M A STUPID TORCH, A MYSTES, RIGHT-"

**"SHANA!"**

Shana froze in mid-sentence, her will to speak gone and arrested by the sudden, unexpected magnitude of terrible, agonized pain and regret that laced Yuji's voice as he yelled out her name. After a long moment, Yuji swallowed heavily and spoke.

"...Shana... the reason why I can't return your feelings... it's not because of any of those reasons... It's got nothing to do with you! It's because of me!"

Shana stared up at the Flame Haze, shocked at the abrupt expression of terrible guilt and anguish that now appeared on his face as he continued.

"I... I killed your parents, Shana! I... I was the reason why you don't remember them... I WAS THE REASON WHY THEY DISAPPEARED...!!"

Shana now felt as if she were caught in the fevered grip of some terrible dream... or rather, a maddened, hellish nightmare. The female Mystes slowly got up from her seat on the bench, moving as if she were sleepwalking. She turned and began to walk away. Yuji, feeling a sudden rush of panic, got up from his seat as well and reached out to grab her arm.

"Shana...!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Yuji stopped in mid-reach, arrested by the tone of Shana's voice. It was ice-cold, now completely devoid of any warmth that it had once held towards the Flame Haze who had entered the young girl's life.

"Shana..."

Now visibly trembling, Shana slowly turned around. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at the Flame Haze who had entered her life, captured her heart... and who had killed her parents.

"Don't come near me..."

Yuji took a step forwards.

"Shana, I..."

The female Mystes shrieked out her pain and terror, causing several nearby passersby to turn their heads in the direction of the two.

"DON'T COME NEAR ME, I SAID!"

Breathing heavily as she continued to quiver and tremble, Shana stared up at Yuji, a mixture of terror and confliction written all over her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"S-stay away from me... YOU MONSTER!"

"Shana, wait...!"

With those final words, Shana spun and ran off, leaving Yuji standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after the fleeing Mystes in a mixture of pained resignation and anguished sorrow. Yuji let his upraised hand drop limply to his side as he continued to helplessly watch Shana flee into the midst of the bustling festival crowds and then disappear.

And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

Fujita giggled as she grabbed hold of the final lever.

"And... right on the mark! Let's start the show!"

The Restless Seeker pulled on the final trigger. As the whirring machinery crackled and spun to life, Fujita grabbed hold of Ike's wrist and dragged him across the laboratory.

"Come on, Ike-kun! The best part's just about to begin!"

* * *

Spell circles suddenly began bursting outwards from the various festive wickerwork figures that had been erected by the city's workers earlier that week in preparation for the Misago Festival. As they began encircling the area, they began arranging themselves into an intricate, yet completely well-ordered network of arcane seals that soon covered the entire length and width of the festival grounds.

* * *

Margery Daw and Keisaku looked up from their scrutiny of one of the souvenir racks as the carefully-erected spell circles began spiraling over the festival grounds. The Misaki High English teacher grumbled as she dropped the good-luck charm that she'd been in the middle of inspecting.

"Now!? Here!? Honestly, these Crimson Realm idiots... Have they no regard for a woman's leisure time...?"

The Chanter of Elegies raised an eyebrow.

"Marcosius, do you...?"

"Mmm. Strange, all right. There's Denizen spellwork here, but... no Denizen. Awfully well-made, I'll give them that."

Sighing, Margery Daw turned to leave. Keisaku looked over at the English teacher and raised his eyebrow even higher.

"And where are you going?"

Margery Daw snorted in mild disgust.

"Honestly, men these days... so dense. You're going to need somebody to assist in monitoring the situation, right? I might as well head over to the Crystal Altar and give you a hand, now that my fun's been ruined."

Despite his best efforts, Keisaku couldn't hold back from smiling as he reached into the Grimoire and pulled out an arcane bookmark.

"Business as usual, eh?"

"As always. Sheesh... You owe me a good, stiff drink after this."

As Margery Daw began heading out of the festival grounds with bookmark in hand, Marcosius dryly muttered a few words to his partner.

"She's sharp, as always. Good backup, she is. Pity we can't take her with us when we have to leave this place for good."

Keisaku's inscrutable smile only grew wider.

"Quite so."

* * *

Kumiko raised eyebrows of her own as she watched the arcane lightshow begin to erupt all over the festival grounds from her vantage point.

"So... that's what was going on."

"Mmm. Fairly well-made, too. A professional piece of work. Could it be...?"

For Yuji, the arcane display went unheeded as he continued to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, blankly staring at the shifting spot in the crowds where Shana had fled to and disappeared. Out of curiosity, a little girl tentatively approached the silent, unmoving Flame Haze and tugged at the sleeve of his yukata.

"...Are you all right? You look like you're hurting somewhere. Are you in pain?"

Before Yuji could react or reply, the girl's mother ran up and pulled away her daughter, muttering a few quiet apologies in Yuji's direction for her daughter's rudeness before leaving with her girl in tow.

After a few more moments of silent inaction, Alastor's voice finally broke in, stern and solid in its force of command.

"Now's not the time for this, Yuji! Brace yourself and look around you! We have a job to do!"

Clenching his eyes shut in silent, pained agony, the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter turned and ran in the direction opposite to the one which Shana had taken in her headlong flight.

* * *

Kumiko continued to stare out at the circling spell seals which were enveloping the festival grounds. Suddenly, she turned at the sound of approaching footfalls. The Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment smiled as she recognized the aura of the Flame Haze that now began ascending the steps in front of her.

"Ah... so it's you. I thought your presence seemed a bit familiar when we set foot in this city. I must say, I-"

The Tuner abruptly stopped in mid-sentence as she suddenly noticed the expression on Yuji's face. It was the look of a person who was fighting back the urge to cry with every ounce of strength in his soul. After a long moment of silent contemplation, Kumiko shrugged and approached her fellow Flame Haze.

"Well... I don't know what's been going on lately, seeing as how I'm cooped up with this old geezer here, but we do have a job to do."

Alastor's voice spoke up, intervening for Yuji so that he wouldn't have to speak.

"Well met, Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment. And greetings to you as well, Behemoth. It has been a long time."

"Indeed. These are some... interesting times. In any event, we've got a problem on our hands. We've come to this city in order to carry out some correctional tuning, but we've had trouble locating our candidate."

Alastor's voice held a note of puzzled question as he gave reply.

"You mean... you've had trouble finding a candidate in this city?"

"Not exactly. We did find a suitable girl, but it's just that... Wait a minute. This boy here... Are you... Yuji Hirai?"

Yuji said nothing, which forced the Flame of Heaven to speak for him.

"For the moment, he is. Is something the matter?"

Kumiko shrugged.

"In a manner of speaking. Our candidate mentioned something about a boy named Yuji Hirai, and her worry that he would be a Torch. Of course, now that we've met, I think I can finally recognize that familiar trace of power which was hanging about her existence."

"So what would you have us do?"

The Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment pointed out at the arcane lightshow which was continuing over the grounds of the Misago Festival.

"As you can see, things have suddenly taken a complicated turn, most likely due to the existential distortion which has already occurred throughout the city. We're going to need the girl here as soon as possible. Any further complications due to the distortion must be halted."

"Understood. What is the candidate's name?"

Behemoth spoke up.

"Hecate, I believe it was."

Yuji's eyes widened with shocked realization as he suddenly remembered the promise he'd made with Hecate yesterday, and which had been subsequently gone forgotten. Taking a deep breath, the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter braced himself and suddenly pulled out his Yogasa.

"All right... I'll do it."

There was a questioning note within Alastor's voice as he spoke.

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

Forcing a smile to his face, Yuji pulled out the deadly length of Blutsauger from the depths of his nightcoat and slammed it point-first into the ground.

"We don't have a choice. I am a Flame Haze... and the balance of the two worlds is at stake."

* * *

"Great! It seems that the first stage has been completed successfully. Now... time for stage two!"

The Restless Seeker pushed another series of buttons, causing another set of arcane machinery to crackle to life.

* * *

The various wickerwork statues lining the sides of the festival lanes abruptly began to glow and move, transforming into sinister eldritch creatures that were, unlike the initial spellcircles, completely visible to the normal human eye. Festival attendees immediately began screaming in terror as the Restless Seeker's creations now began wreaking havoc amidst the festival stalls.

"SEAL!"

Before any further damage could be inflicted, the crimson shades of an arcane Seal burst forth from the pages of Keisaku's Grimoire, bringing a halt to the flow of time within the vicinity of the festival grounds. Immediately, the Chanter of Elegies followed up by unleashing several volleys of magical energy, blasting the closest of the eldritch creatures to shimmering cinders. Marcosius snorted with laughter as Keisaku turned and lobbed another blast of purple-colored flame.

"Ha! Well, this is definitely turning out to be a very peculiar festival. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, my reckless tankard?"

"Probably. It's her work, isn't it?"

The Claw and Fangs of Violation chuckled dryly as another eldritch creature was reduced to cinders by Keisaku's attack.

"Just what I was thinking. No doubt about it, Bal Masque's definitely lit the candles on the cake and started the party now. Kinda rude of them not to send us an invite, though."

* * *

Shana ran, tears streaming down her face as she did so. There was nothing else she could do. Coherent thought was an impossibility.

_Yuji... Yuji is..._

The female Mystes clenched her eyes shut in terrible pain and continued to run in her mindless, headlong flight away from the nightmare that had suddenly found her and which had buried its razor-sharp claws into her heart.

_Yuji...!_

Suddenly, a nearby explosion of eldritch power burst forth, knocking her down and sending her tumbling to the sidewalk. Looking up in a daze, Shana found herself staring up at several glowing, birdlike creatures, swooping in low over the crowds.

In her anguished pain and mindless headlong flight, Shana had completely missed the Unrestricted Method that had been forming around the festival grounds. Unfortunately, she had left the Nietono no Shana back at the apartment. Gritting her teeth, Shana struggled to her feet and forced herself back into a limping run. Somehow... she had to get away...

...Away from all the madness that had now swallowed up her entire world.

* * *

"God, and to think that things were going so well just a moment ago!"

"D-don't talk now, Oga-chan! Just keep running!"

"Geez, that stupid Flame Haze! If he hadn't sealed away our powers, we could do something about this mess!"

"Hey, what about Hecate-tan!? Where'd she go!?"

Tanaka shrugged in mid-run, which was no mean feat in and of itself.

"I... I dunno. I think we got separated from her in all the confusion..."

"Damn it! Tanaka, you should have kept a better eye on her! Geez, why in the name of the Crimson Realm do I get stuck with all the _useless_ boyfriends...!?"

* * *

At that very moment, Hecate was busy running for her life, having been separated from Tanaka and Ogata in the confusion of the milling, panicked crowds. Several of those glowing, flying monsters had spotted her, and were now following her in almost gleeful pursuit of their intended prey. Suddenly, one of the girl's wooden _geta_ caught on a crack in the pavement, sending her tumbling to the cement. Wincing, Hecate looked up to see one of the terrifying monsters swooping in towards her for the kill.

Hecate closed her eyes and waited for the descending monstrosity to kill her.

**SHHNK!**

Nothing. Slowly, almost fearfully, Hecate opened her eyes... and then widened them as she found herself staring up at a figure standing over her. In one of his hands was a gigantic two-handed sword, fearsome and clearly lethal even with all of its ornate decoration. His eyes and hair glowed a heated crimson, searing like molten metal in a blast furnace, and brilliant wings of flame licked the air from his back.

Blinking in shock, Hecate slowly got to her feet, staring up at the strange figure, both utterly alien and yet completely familiar in its form.

"...Hirai-kun...?"

Yuji slowly turned around and looked over to Hecate, a small, sad smile gracing his features as he shouldered the huge blade and quietly spoke.

"Hecate-san... I'm sorry for being so late."

* * *

"Well... fat's in the fire now."

The Writer of Questionable Stories mumbled incoherently around another mouthful of rye bread, corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.

"Mhmm."

"Ah geez... For crying out loud, could you quit eating in front of the computer!? You're only going to make things worse!"

"Smrpch. Mrmphsnarf."

* * *

**To Be Continued...?**


End file.
